(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company made its fifth stop in Japan at the Fukuoka Sunpalace Hall in Fukuoka on March 15. Many audience members expressed their deep appreciation for the Chinese traditional culture demonstrated in the New York-based show.

President Fujimoto Jun of Nakamura Gakuen University, a well-known private university in Fukuoka, highly praised Shen Yun Performing Arts, saying it presents the magnificence and glory of China's five-millennia-old culture, which enables audiences to perceive the distinctive characteristic of the universality of traditional culture, as well as the profound inner beauty behind the presentation of outer beauty.

Mr. Fujimoto said that the performance of Shen Yun encompasses various forms of art, including music, dance, and painting.

President Fujimoto Jun of Nakamura Gakuen University.

He said that he sensed the beauty presented through all the programs and dance movements. He quoted the founder of his university as saying, "The exterior appearance is the reflection of the inner world." The performance of Shen Yun enabled him to have a deeper understanding of this quotation. The external beauty of Shen Yun's dance is the realistic reflection of performers' inner beauty; only those with beautiful hearts are capable of demonstrating such a beautiful presentation, he said.

Stunned by the lively rhythm of the Shen Yun music, Mr. Fujimoto said, "This is the first time I have come in contact with this kind of music with lively rhythm. I am amazed and touched."

Mrs. Fujimoto was even more impressed with the Shen Yun performers. She said, "It's really a great pleasure to see such an outstanding performance. The performers must have undergone persistent training to reach such a high level. Movements of the performers are uniform, very wonderful, a delight to the eyes. I can sense the elegant beauty of human nature flowing around."

Mr. Fujimoto said that what impressed him the most is the universality of culture he sensed from each program. While continuity of traditional culture is presented, he said, distinctive features and creativity of each era are also manifested. Distinctiveness is also perceived in the universality; in turn the reach of the show extends beyond limited areas and eras. If distinctiveness is the only emphasis, it is hard to have culture continue, he said. The Shen Yun performance helped him understand that only with universality and creativity of each era can traditions exist and continue.

Shen Yun: 'Made my body and mind happy'

Recently retired, Mr. Yamada Tadao was a board member of Yoshino Gypsum, a company with more than a 100-year history. He and his wife, Mineko, could not repress the excitement they felt after seeing Shen Yun.

Mrs. Yamada said, "It was like in a dream. The colors on the stage are gorgeous. The costumes are fabulously beautiful. The expressions on the actors' faces are rich and contagious. They gracefully danced with the music. The dances are elegant and beautiful. Every movement is expressive and lifelike. I felt as wonderful as if I were being brought to heaven."

Mr. Yamada added, "It simply is the wonderland of the legends. The poetic and picturesque life of the wonderland in ancient China is displayed before us. We are completely enchanted."

Yamada Tadao and his wife, Yamada Mineko were excited after seeing Shen Yun.

After seeing Shen Yun for the first time Mrs. Yamada said, "The show is really spectacular," and said she wished the show was longer.

She felt seeing the show gave her a greater appreciation for traditional Chinese culture, "After seeing Shen Yun, I feel that I should learn from China. I don't quite understand China. However, the show gives me a brand new China, a place that I long for."

Mr. Yamada was touched by the music. "The music is unique. The combination of traditional Chinese instruments and Western instruments is just perfect. All the characteristics of each instrument have their own places and are reflected in the music. It's music with traditional Chinese flavor. The melody is very beautiful and tranquil. It penetrated my heart and made my body and mind happy."

"Right! Right! The sound of the erhu flowed gently. My heart was captivated by the strings. Sometimes the music was uplifting and sometimes it was subtle. It's really fantastic." Mrs. Yamada said excitedly, "I bought the tickets two or three months ago. I often took them out to remind myself not to forget the date. I'm contented now that my wish has come true. Tomorrow is my husband's birthday. After today's show, he will receive no other blessing to make him happier and more satisfied tomorrow."

'Deeply Moved by the Show!'

Mr. Kojiro Mori, president of a company, was among the many audience members from the business sector attending the show.

"Really wonderful! Though some other performing arts groups may demonstrate the inner beauty by their dancers, what was performed by Shen Yun was different, as it illustrated the inner beauty with further insightful implications.

"What Shen Yun presented to the audience was authentic arts with exquisite dances, perfect movements and mellow voices. I was deeply moved by the show!" exclaimed Mr. Kojiro.

"I was deeply moved," said Mr. Kojiro Mori after seeing Shen Yun in Fukuoka.

Of the dancers' performance, he said "Their physical condition seemed to have reached the level of perfection. I was really amazed by their exquisite and graceful dances. It was indeed an enjoyment to watch the show. What the male and female dancers demonstrated to us was authentic beauty."

"The Buddha's Teachings Spread Far and Wide was the performance that impressed me the most .... I also loved Splitting the Mountain and the song Calmly Take a Look very much. The Dance of the Dai was also very unique," he continued.

He also said that the performing arts presented by Shen Yun were unique, as it successfully conveyed profound messages to the audience without using any vocal expressions.

He was moved by the scenes depicting the present day persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners, and said, "It is a pity that there is no religious freedom in China. I think the Chinese government should allow free expression of culture and arts. Currently they (Falun Gong practitioners) are being persecuted in China; therefore, Shen Yun is unable to perform in China. However, I believe the situation will change for the better in the near future. After all, the society exists for humanity."

He concluded by saying that because Shen Yun was so meaningful for peacefulness, arts and education, he hopes that Shen Yun can be widely performed all over the world.

Mr. Kojiro was also surprised to learn that the Shen Yun Performing Arts Company is New York-based, and has toured all over the world. He said that he would definitely inform his son who lives in New York to take his entire family to see the show there. His son is a professional musician who has played bassoon for 15 years in New York, and, his daughter-in-law is a cellist.

Shen Yun 'Magnificent'

The Abbot of a Japanese Buddhist temple, Furukawa Ryuji, was amongst the appreciative audience at the Fukuoka Sunpalace Hall welcoming Shen Yun Performing Arts to Fukuoka, Japan, on March 15. He had abundant praise for Shen Yun.

Abbot Furukawa said, "Today's show is distinctive. The actors' performance techniques are superb. The music is very much in harmony with the stage performances. I feel quite marvelous. The program, Wu Song Battles the Tiger, can be understood without using language. The story is presented in a clever and refined way."

Abbot of a Japanese Buddhist temple, Furukawa Ryuji, praised Shen Yun.

Abbot Furukawa was moved by the live Orchestra. He said, "It's magnificent. Its coordination with the performance on the stage is just perfect. In short, it is completely beyond my imagination."

He said that in Shen Yun's artistic performance, he felt the value of freedom and peace, which is beyond language, race or any kind of thoughts; it also demonstrates the heavenly principle that good and evil are rewarded accordingly. Abbot Furukawa said the dance Nothing Can Block the Divine Path is very educational. "People with righteous faith are rewarded with good things. The evil doers are actually the most pathetic. Their souls become filthier every time they do an evil deed. They eventually will be punished by God and they should be punished for their crime," he said. He will recommend more people to see Shen Yun next year.

Abbot Furukawa said that he is from Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. He picked up a booklet about the Shen Yun performance and immediately decided to see the show.

Source:

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