(Minghui.org) During the week of March 6–13, 2023, Shen Yun Performing Arts presented 31 performances in Aarhus, Denmark; Sevilla, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Calgary, Canada; and the American states of California, Colorado, and Florida.
Shen Yun Global Company at the sold-out performance at the Prague Congress Center in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 12. The company presented four performances in Prague March 10–12, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun Global Company at The Concert Hall Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark, on March 6. Tickets for this performance were sold out in advance. The company presented two performances to packed houses in Aarhus on March 6–7. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New York Company at the Cartuja Center Cite in Sevilla, Spain, on March 9. The company presented three performances in Sevilla March 7–9, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New Era Company performs at the Bridges Auditorium - Pomona College in Claremont, California. The company presented four performances in Claremont March 10–12, all to full houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun North America Company at The Buell Theatre at DPAC in Denver, Colorado, on the afternoon of March 12. The company presented six performances in Denver from March 8–12, all to packed houses. (NTD Television)
Shen Yun Touring Company at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, Canada, on March 11. The company presented four performances in Calgary from March 10–12. (The Epoch Times)
“An Incredible Performance, Truly Artistic”
Bernadette Geronazzo, executive director at Fabbrici Foundation, which supports non-profit arts & culture in Canada, at the Shen Yun performance in Calgary, Canada, on March 10 (NTD Television)
Bernadette Geronazzo, the executive director at Fabbrici Foundation, which supports non-profit arts & culture in Canada, saw Shen Yun in Calgary, Canada, on March 10.
“An incredible performance, truly artistic, and at the same time, very uplifting and enlightening,” said Mrs. Geronazzo.
“It’s 5,000 years old, and at the same time, it’s bringing this artistry, this gift of dance, and also conveying very, very important messages of love... compassion... [and] faith... All of this I found very interesting.
“I was extremely impressed to know that [they] travel with an entire orchestra... This is quite unusual for a dance troupe and very impressive indeed.
“The beautiful sounds that the erhu was able to create... I thought was magnificent... that was beautiful to behold,” she said.
Mrs. Geronazzo said she was also impressed to learn that, alongside the Shen Yun artists’ rigorous training, they meditate together and practice self-discipline and selflessness.
“There’s this spiritual aspect of togetherness... knowing that you are part of something that is conveying beauty and skill... and at the same time giving important lessons... to the audience, I think it’s quite wonderful,” she said.
“I was quite moved by the story depicting modern-day China... How courageous and also wonderful for Shen Yun and to tell it in such an artistic and compassionate way,” Mrs. Geronazzo said of the story about the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong.
“This message is one that humanity needs to hear... Because as we enter this time in our history on earth, the sense of the Divine coming to provide hope, and a sense of renewal, I think, is one that we all need to hold onto.
“For Shen Yun to deliver this message and to make it very vocal, I think, was a beautiful gesture for all of us,” she said.
Mrs. Geronazzo said she was very grateful for Shen Yun’s dedication and for bringing such a “beautiful art form—one that is unsurpassed in the idea of conveying both emotion and storyline—with music,” to Calgary.
“It Was Just Spectacular”
Aristotle Karas, Amazon bestseller coauthor and award-winning auctioneer, at the Shen Yun performance in Denver, Colorado, on March 10 (NTD Television)
Aristotle Karas watched Shen Yun with his family in Denver, Colorado, on March 10.
“The acrobatics, and the dancing, and the performance – it was really well-balanced, which was a great mix of the masculine and the feminine together. It was just spectacular,” Mr. Karas said.
“I really felt the connection of the dancers and the heart. And I didn’t feel like it was like religion pushed upon you. It was more of spirituality invited to you... Really beautiful to be invited into it,” he said.
“Always the Most Top-notch”
Daniel Herman, Honorary Consul of the Principality of Liechtenstein and former Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic, at the Shen Yun performance in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 10 (The Epoch Times)
Daniel Herman had seen Shen Yun multiple times. “Wonderful like the heaven. The performance not only included the beauty of another spiritual world, but also displayed the reality of the modern communist world. In that (CCP) world, this kind of beautiful spirit is being persecuted,” Mr. Herman said.
He said he saw in the performance that “hope, and compassion is always more powerful than hatred.”
“[Shen Yun] is always the most top-notch. Come see it! This is a performance filled with hope. Like I said: wonderful like the heaven,” he said.
“Perfection Wherever You Want to Look”
Professional dancer Alejandra Sabena at the Shen Yun performance in Sevilla, Spain, on March 9 (NTD Television)
“There are no words—it’s amazing... The show’s stage design is wonderful... The great professionalism of the dancers, musicians, the acting, the costumes—it’s perfection wherever you want to look!” said Ms. Sabena.
Ms. Sabena said that Shen Yun “reflects the Chinese culture,” and that the dancing “reflects, above all, the light of the people. It reflects the soul of nature that moves us day by day.”
“I think that they have a way of directly transmitting... the messages that they want to give. You don’t need to understand Chinese, you don’t need to know their religion or their culture itself,” she said.
Ms. Sabena said that the messages she got from Shen Yun’s performance were of “loyalty, love, love for nature, love for life, love for values.”
“What they convey is a purity at a spiritual level that I will walk away trying to learn... I will [try] to learn Chinese, try to get to know that culture and bring it into my life,” she said.
Ms. Sabena also said that she believed in the importance of reviving traditional culture and sharing it with the rest of the world. She said that although Chinese culture is very ancient, it is new to those who are not Chinese and therefore, important to learn about.
“I think it’s good to know new beliefs, new cultures, and to be able to discern what you want to choose, what you want to support, and what you want to have faith in,” said Ms. Sabena.
Referring to China’s oppressive communist government and its persecution of followers of faith depicted in Shen Yun’s performance, Ms. Sabena said, “I think suppressing faith takes away from all of us the possibility of being freer.”
Ms. Sabena said she would recommend Shen Yun “to everyone, to all cultures, to all levels of society... This marvel is worth seeing.”
“Reality, Spirituality, and Moral Commitment of Humanity”
Professor Mar Llera Llorente and her daughter at the Shen Yun performance in Sevilla, Spain, on March 9 (NTD Television)
“[Shen Yun] expressed the reality, spirituality, and moral commitment of humanity in a very beautiful way. It was done with exquisite delicacy,” Ms. Llorente said.
“[The performance] appealed to us at a time when we’re so blinded to what is happening in the [world].
“The Chinese communist regime represents a threat to all of us and our way of life. [Its ideology] is completely removed from the spiritual and moral foundation of our civilization,” she said.
Ms. Llorente said Shen Yun’s mission to revive traditional culture is “not just important, but essential because the Cultural Revolution had swept it all away.”
“[The artists] presented their messages in a very clear and sensitive way... They’re not just putting on a show for the love of the arts and aesthetics—that part was also very exquisite—but to bring awareness to a cruel reality that would be our future if we do not prevent it,” she said.
She was especially touched by Shen Yun’s dance piece depicting the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
“I was tearing up over the suffering of the Chinese people. Yet, I was also amazed by the beauty and elegance that they were able to summon to overcome these tremendous hardships,” Ms. Llorente said.
“[Shen Yun’s] presentation was very elegant. It was protesting without violence and in a language that can reach everyone,” she said.
A researcher of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, Ms. Llorente is very familiar with the conflicts and societal issues of Asia.
She thinks Falun Gong is so popular in China because it allowed “people to find themselves, their deepest roots, and discover what gave their lives meaning as people and as a society.”
For insisting on speaking out about the human rights issues of present-day China, Shen Yun is slandered by the Chinese Communist Party.
Ms. Llorente is well aware of this situation. “The Chinese migrants I know in Sevilla get scared when they see posters advertising Shen Yun because they are so indoctrinated by the communist party,” she said.
“I always said to them, ‘Hey! Come find out [about Shen Yun] for yourself. They will not force you to do anything. It is exquisite art,” Ms. Llorente said.
If Ms. Llorente gets a chance, she would like to give a heartfelt embrace to all of Shen Yun’s artists.
“I felt an unspoken connection with them even from the stage. I would like to deepen that communication and express my gratitude, my recognition, and my congratulations in person,” she said.
“Made Me Feel Full of Energy and Very Happy”
Stacy Collins, manager of a healthcare facility, and Jeff Schultz, an aviation director of maintenance, at the Shen Yun performance in Denver, Colorado, on March 11 (Minghui.org)
“The performance makes me energized and happy,” Ms. Collins said.
“It talks about thousands of years of traditions, history, and a little bit about what’s going on right now in China.
“I feel bad that the Chinese are still living under communist rule. This is very unfair. Because this is the country you love, but you’re enduring all this,” she said.
Regarding the spirituality presented in the performance, Ms. Collins said, “I think everyone needs to have faith... This is what keeps people going, because of the belief that there are higher beings beyond humans that will save them on earth,” she said.
“Leads the Audience to Seek the Truth”
Scott Posch and his daughter Alexa at the Shen Yun performance in Denver, Colorado, on March 10 (Minghui.org)
Scott Posch, director of Operations at Colorado National Guard, brought the ticket as a birthday gift for his daughter Alexa.
“It’s been beautiful sights and sounds. Enjoyed the storyline, and experienced Chinese culture at the same time,” Mr. Posch said.
“The performance gives me something to compare, which contrasts with my Christian viewpoints and allows me to have a deeper appreciation and understanding of what’s out there in the world. One takeaway was that I learned that the Chinese have the idea of heaven and mankind as one,” he said.
Alexa also enjoyed the performance. “It’s definitely different. Very vibrant and colorful. It combines everything very well. It truly shows the Chinese’ concept of heaven and mankind as one,” she said.
Mr. Posch also said that the biggest feeling he had after seeing the performance was, “The show takes the audience to seek the truth.”
Canadian and American Officials Welcome Shen Yun
Prior to Shen Yun’s performances in Calgary and Edmonton in the Canadian province of Alberta during March 10–16, Albertan officials at federal, provincial, and municipal levels issued greeting remarks to welcome the performing arts company. These officials include Danielle Smith (top row, left first), Premier of Alberta; Rajan Sawhney (top row, second from left), Alberta’s Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism; and Joyti Godek (top row, third from left), Mayor of Calgary.
Certificate of Recognition from Shannon Grove, California State Senator for the 12th district (The Epoch Times)
Upcoming Performances
Shen Yun continues its 2023 tour with upcoming performances in Thousand Oaks, California, March 16; Orlando, Florida, March 16–19; Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 17–19; Long Beach, California, March 18–19; Changhua, Taiwan, March 16–19; São Paulo, Brazil, March 17–22; Edmonton, Canada, March 16; and Ottawa, Canada, March 17–19.
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