(Minghui.org) Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company concluded a seven-show run in the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area, two of which were staged at the Orpheum Theater, on March 10, and five which were staged at the Ikeda Theater in the Mesa Arts Center, on February 28–March 3, 2013.

Shen Yun “Sensational,” Says Renowned Newscaster

Shen Yun always seems to attract a bevy of arts enthusiasts and VIPs. It was no different on March 10, when Hugh Downs, a media broadcasting icon, attended the show at the Orpheum Theater. He was accompanied by his wife, Ruth Downs, a retired broadcaster, and their great granddaughter.

Mr. Downs' career spanned more than 50 years, which included working for ABC, NBC, and PBS. He also won two Emmy awards; was nominated for three more, and received numerous other prestigious awards.

“Very good. Really well done,” said Mr. Downs, with his wife adding, “We enjoyed this very much.”

“We saw it advertised for a long time and we finally got to see it,” said Mr. Downs. “I would say if you get a chance to see this, do it.”

Shen Yun's “Spiritual Element” Praised by Former Diplomat

Susan Weidner, a former diplomat. (Photo Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

Also in the audience was Susan Weidner, a former diplomat, currently working as an adoption consultant for International Family Services.

As a former diplomat, Ms. Weidner served as the senior commercial officer and first secretary at U.S. embassies in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Sofia, Bulgaria.

She said that she was pleased to see the spirituality of Chinese culture presented in the show.

“I found the program particularly exciting because I feel that what will bring peace in the world will be people of different faith traditions working together,” Ms. Weidner said.

She said that humility before the creator is something taught in all true faiths and that society needs to adhere to the values and principles taught by the Chinese practice, Falun Dafa, which includes truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

“When we realize that we are all on that same path of spiritual development, we’ll see each other as colleagues, not as competitors; as brothers and sisters working together to spread the recognition of the importance of these values around the world. And I think that that will ultimately influence the governments of the world to embrace those values wholeheartedly.”

Ms. Weidner praised Shen Yun for the courage “to blend culture with spiritual values,” adding, “I hope it touches the hearts of a lot of people in the audience and the audiences that the group performs in front of all over the world, because that will help to [connect together] the hearts of all people.”

She explained that spiritual development “is an essential aspect of any country or society to advance into the 21st century. In China, in America—everywhere.”

She said that if all people of the world embrace spirituality, the future would be more optimistic and peaceful.

Shen Yun's Spirituality “Unique”

Ms. Weidner said that although she had lived in China in the 1980s, none of the many cultural performances she had seen came even close to Shen Yun.

“I lived in China from 1984 to 1987, representing Philips Petroleum Company. … The unique part of this show versus shows that I saw in China [is] certainly that spiritual component … the spiritual element in the Shen Yun program is absolutely unique in my experience seeing Chinese programs and I applaud that and I [hope] that that will continue and be well received by many people around the world.”

Ms. Weidner also spoke highly of the performance’s aesthetics, saying, “I liked it very much; excellent production value, beautiful choreography, costuming, lighting—the scenery. Very well conceived,” she said.

She added, “The orchestra was magnificent. I liked the synthesis of the Western and Chinese instruments.”

Ms. Weidner said it was “very exhilarating, very inspiring” that Shen Yun was “continuing to work for human rights in China and encouraging spiritual development.”

“[It was] a privilege to be here,” she said. “A privilege to become familiar with the performance, and I will certainly encourage friends to see it.”

“The Music Just Resonates,” Says Arizona IT Executive

Also seated in the audience was Alan Ferayorni, an IT executive, who was accompanied by his wife.

“The music just resonates, so it’s not something you have to go see many times to appreciate it,” he said. “It’s very comfortable and easy to enjoy.”

“The way they combined the dance with the video and the film in the back was really quite creative, I’d never seen anything quite like that before,” said Mr. Ferayorni.

“It was interesting because when I came in I didn’t realize there was an orchestra, because they were so quiet.

“This orchestra, a very large orchestra, was completely silent until the beginning of the show when they started playing. I said ‘Wow! There’s live music!’ I didn’t even realize that there was going to be live music, and they’re fantastic.”

The orchestra is unique in its blending of both East and West—with the melodies often played by Chinese instruments, and a Western orchestra providing the harmonic backdrop.

“I like the melodies, it’s different, but not way different,” said Mr. Ferayorni. “I like it, the way it’s all balanced together with the aspects of the East and West together, it’s very nice.”

Along with dance pieces supported by the Shen Yun Orchestra, are operatic pieces, sung in Chinese with the lyrics shown on screen, along with English translations.

“Breaking up some of the dance pieces with the music, with the soprano and the tenor, kind of balanced everything out,” he said.

Mr. Ferayorni commented on the costumes, saying that they “were wonderful,” adding, “so it was quite an enjoyable experience.”

Mrs. Ferayorni, who used to work in investments, said that the scenes portraying the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China “really touched” her.

Shen Yun a “Life-changing Experience”

Sharice Heller, a business manager. (Photo Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

Another happy theatergoer, Sharice Heller, was deeply touched by Shen Yun calling it “a life-changing experience.”

“It brought new hope and light … seeing how this all transcends what is happening [in the world] now,” she said.

If she had a chance to speak with the performers, Mrs. Heller said she would say, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“It really moved me and brought me back home, to a place I hadn’t visited in a long time,” she said.

Mrs. Heller, who used to be an artist, recognized and identified with the universal themes displayed in the performance.

“I love the show, because it speaks to the universal harmony of color, nature, humanity, and civilization.” She said she could see the same universal spirit in other traditional cultures, too.

The fact that traditional Chinese culture is deeply steeped in spirituality and a reverence for the divine, resonated with Mrs. Heller.

“I love the elegance, the beauty of the dancers, and the joy that they brought—I loved that,” she said.

She also enjoyed the dance set, “Dancing for the Gods,” which features Tibetan dance amidst the towering Himalayas.

“It spoke to me of harmony and hope, and I found it very sad that [Shen Yun] can’t be shown in their own country,” Mrs. Heller said.

Mrs. Heller was referring to the fact that Shen Yun is not permitted to perform in today’s communist China, which, in the past 60 years, has nearly destroyed China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture.

“Because our spiritual being is the essence of all art, dance, singing, music, painting, sculpture, it can’t be limited,” she said. “But the hopeful thing about it is, it will always last. Look at the beauty they brought with this, and they united it with the technological wonders of today with that digital screen.”

Mrs. Heller was clearly impressed with the combination of ancient culture and Shen Yun's innovative digital backdrops.

She also said that she had found symbolism in the Shen Yun Orchestra.

“Oh, I loved it—that again was the part of the ‘we’re all one’ [theme]. Everybody is part of the same universe, and even though you and I look different, come from totally different backgrounds, that inner strength and beauty of both of us together make a new one. And we can do that as all one people together, embracing the spirit of life.”

Source: theEpochTimes.com