(Clearwisdom.net) On the evening of January 11, 2010, Shen Yun Performing Arts held its third and last performance in Ottawa's National Arts Center. The artists received enthusiastic applause and cheers when answering the curtain call.
Audience watches the third Shen Yun show in Ottawa's National Arts Center on January 11, 2010
Executive Director of Canadian Chinese Arts Council: "I will see Shen Yun every year"
Ms. Sau Lan Mo (Mandarin spelling: Wu Xiulan) is the executive director of the Canadian Chinese Arts Council. She is also a painter specializing in oil painting. This is the first time she saw the Shen Yun performance. She said that she would come back every year.
Ms. Sau Lan Mo
Ms. Mo said she knew that there was a message behind every story. The spiritual content in the message was especially moving for her. She said, "Everybody is so busy and forgets that spirituality is also a part of life. Shen Yun did a great job in letting me realize who I am and why I am here."
Ms. Mo loved the combination of the costumes and the colors. "Overall everything matches perfectly. A lot of other performances only focused on dancing and ignored other aspects of the art. Shen Yun beautifully blends colors into its choreography."
Ms. Mo feels that the unique thing about Shen Yun's show was that it presented stories with visual art. "For westerners, I believe most of them would understand the stories by seeing the dances."
The mix of high and low intensity music was just right for Ms. Mo. "The music makes me feel comfortable, the volume is not too low or too high. I can feel it since I sat in the middle of the theater."
Ms. Mo commented that the solo vocalists' voices seamlessly blended in with the accompaniment. "Overall, I give tonight's show an A plus, it must be!"
Visiting Professor: Feels the Graceful Traditional Culture
Ms. Hou Wenzhuo is a visiting professor from the University of Ottawa. She provides legal service for those who need help in China. From Wu Song and Han Xin's stories, the ethnic dances, and the divine stories, Ms. Hou felt "...the essence of traditional Chinese culture being passed down strongly and gracefully."
Ms. Hou especially loved the lotus and fan dances, and the Tibetan and Dai ethnic dances. "Terrific!" she said.
"It is necessary to have a large scale show to effectively promote Chinese culture. Much of our culture was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and under Communist rule. Many of the commercialized cultural business have no deep content and no soul."
When Ms. Hou saw the story depicting Falun Gong practitioners' uncompromising spirit in the persecution taking place in China, she was very worried about the practitioners in China. "I didn't know any of them personally when I was in China, but everyone knows Falun Gong is suppressed." "If China wants to become a modernized country, it has to have an open mind toward spiritual beliefs."
Chinese Immigrant: Pure and Innocent Performance Brings Out Message of Compassion
Ms. Fu recently came from China. She described the show as brilliant, "The manifestation gives me a feeling of purity. It feels so real and not a bit of artificial."
Ms. Fu learned the message of being compassionate from the program about Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted. "She remained steadfast in her belief because she knew that justice would be served one day. She will have a good future."
"The show lets the world know about authentic Chinese culture through ancient legends and historical stories. For those who don't understand Chinese culture, they can see our five thousand years of history from the cultural aspect."
"The show demonstrated purity and beauty of classical Chinese and ethnic dances. In their everyday lives and festivals, the ethnic groups express themselves through dance."
Chinese Doctor: Buys Shen Yun's Ticket for a Western Friend
Ms. Chen is a doctor from Beijing. She bought tickets for her daughter and a western friend. When asked about her favorite program, she answered "all of them."
Ms. Chen's friend Tina loved the colors and choreography. "I liked the classical dances from different ethnicities. It's a cultural experience for me."
Ms. Chen's 15 year-old daughter enjoyed every story in the show. She's heard all the stories before. She believed the show was trying to tell people, "Good is rewarded."
