(Minghui.org) Shen Yun Performing Arts presented a total of forty performances in Switzerland, Canada, and the United States from March 17–28, 2023.
Shen Yun New Era Company at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, California, on March 25. The company presented two sold-out performances in San Luis Obispo March 25–26. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun Touring Company at the packed house at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, Canada, on March 26. The company presented seven performances in Vancouver March 21–26. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun International Company at the Musical Theater Basel in Basel, Switzerland, on the afternoon of March 25. The company presented four performances in Basel March 24–26. Tickets for all four performances were sold out more than one month in advance. (NTD Television)
Shen Yun Global Company at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Canada, on the evening of March 25. The company presented five sold-out performances in Mississauga March 24–28. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New World Company at the packed house at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts – Au-Rene Theatre in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on March 23. The local presenter twice released seats with obstructed view in order to meet the demand. The company presented three performances in Ft. Lauderdale March 21–23, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
“This Shows the True Spirit of the Chinese Community”
Rudy Cuzzetto, Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Mississauga—Lakeshore, at the Shen Yun performance in Mississauga on March 24 (NTD Television)
Rudy Cuzzetto, Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Mississauga—Lakeshore, saw Shen Yun in Mississauga on March 24.
“The whole performance has touched me tremendously tonight,” Mr. Cuzzetto said.
“I want to congratulate them for that type of performance, because I do not know how they can perform in that way, with that much energy.
“It’s a feast for the eyes, but even a feast for the soul.
“It’s very important to protect your culture and your traditions and I find that is very important, in any culture. And this shows the true spirit of the Chinese community,” Mr. Cuzzetto concluded.
“Traditional Culture with Enormous Artistic Power”
Beat Jans, President of the executive council of Basel Stadt, at the Shen Yun performance in Basel, Switzerland, on March 26 (NTD Television)
Beat Jans, President of the executive council of Basel Stadt, saw Shen Yun in Basel, Switzerland, on March 26.
Mr. Jans said having Shen Yun perform in Basel was a great honor: “It is exciting. It is a beautiful, traditional culture with enormous artistic power.”
“A Lot of Care and Happiness”
Mississauga City Councillor Brad Butt at the Shen Yun performance in Mississauga, Canada, on March 26 (NTD Television)
Brad Butt, councillor of the City of Mississauga, saw Shen Yun in Mississauga, Canada, on March 26. This was his third time seeing Shen Yun in Mississauga.
“We are so pleased that you’ve brought this production to Mississauga, giving us an opportunity to watch it. The work that’s been put into it must be enormous at the end of the day, and we’re just very grateful to have this opportunity to be able to watch this performance live here in Mississauga,” Mr. Butt said.
“I’m fourth-generation Canadian, so I’ve only seen things from a Canadian perspective, but one of the things I was able to learn a lot when I served as a federal member of Parliament is all these things happening all over the world in different parts of the world and different issues and concerns and levels of persecution and threat to people.
“So I think it’s important that Canada continues to be a country that stands up and supports people of all faiths all over the world, and if we can learn more about those challenges through song and through dance and through entertainment, I think that educates all of us much better and broader as we move forward,” he said.
For Mr. Butt, the performance encompassed “a lot of compassion, a lot of care and happiness, and at the same time also dealing with some of the struggles and some of the unfortunate incidents and misery over the history of China, and that’s important storytelling, that’s important stuff to talk about. And so I’m pleased that we’re given this wonderful opportunity through dance and through song to experience that for those of us that don’t have any history with China.”
“This has been fantastic; I mean, the dancing and the singing and the entertainment has been just great... And the other great thing is to be learning the history, such rich, long Chinese history, and to learn that through dance and performance is really something special,” Mr. Butt added.
“I Can’t Remember Ever Seeing Anything So Perfect”
Musician Samuel Staffelbach at the Shen Yun performance in Basel, Switzerland, on March 24 (NTD Television)
Musician Samuel Staffelbach saw Shen Yun in Basel, Switzerland, on March 24.
“I can’t remember ever seeing anything so perfect,” said Mr. Staffelbach.
“The important thing for me is the combination of beauty and spirituality that draws me here. I felt that a lot... I think it is unique in that I haven’t seen [it] any in other music performances. After all, I am from the music industry,” he said.
“Very Touched By What I Saw”
Brent Chapman, actor and producer, at the Shen Yun performance in Vancouver, Canada, on March 21 (NTD Television)
Brent Chapman, actor and producer, saw Shen Yun in Vancouver, Canada, on March 21.
“I was very very touched by what I saw. I was very excited by what I saw... I was also moved in a way that I thought that there’s something really positive about what we are to watch,” Mr. Chapman said.
“I also really enjoyed the history and thought how beautiful it is that we share our cultures. All cultures have these stories that are rooted in these immutable truths that we have that have played out though history... These stories last, and they last because they’re true, and they teach us lessons about ourselves. Our heart doesn’t change,” he said.
“Hit the Highest Marks”
Studio singer Rick Riso at the Shen Yun performance in Northridge, California, on March 22 (NTD Television)
Studio singer Rick Riso and his wife saw Shen Yun in Northridge, California, on March 22.
“Thoroughly enjoyable experience,” said Mr. Riso, who recorded for many well-known movie soundtracks such as The Lion King and Shrek 2.
“[Shen Yun] transcended other [shows] that I’d seen before. I just cannot form enough words—[usually] I’m pretty good at communicating,” he said.
“It was a communication to the soul and spirit. It was inspirational!” Mr. Riso said.
Having been in the entertainment industry for many years, Mr. Riso said he knows what it feels like “when a performance moved you. But [Shen Yun] went beyond the intellectual to the spirit and the soul and the heart.”
“I felt like I had embraced Chinese culture. It was so motivating for me that I want to be an even better person than I had tried to be,” he said.
“For those of us who have been blessed to have been in the profession for a long time, it’s easy to recognize a good effort. This was beyond a good effort.
“This was, for me, about as close to perfection [as it gets] in terms of art. The marriage between the orchestra, the dance, and the performance was seamless—absolutely wonderful,” he said.
Both Mr. Riso and his wife are professional musicians. Although Mrs. Riso has performed in Asia several times, the couple did not expect to be so moved by Shen Yun’s erhu virtuoso.
“We were looking and nudging each other silently going ‘wow!’ In all our lives, we had never experienced that kind of musical expression. This person is so much of a virtuoso it’s undeniable. We thought we were in another dimension,” Mr. Riso said.
Referring to the spiritual element of Shen Yun, Mr. Riso said he had been a man of deep-abiding faith for many years. Though the belief portrayed differs from his own, he resonated with the same message.
“I do believe that we do not come here by happenstance. We have a Divine Creator, and we carry [his] imprint on our souls and spirits. [In today’s world,] we let a lot of things get in the way. So, to come back to that reminder was fabulous,” he said.
“Bravo. [Shen Yun] hit the highest marks. It was transcendent,” Mr. Riso said.
“This Performance Really Captures Feelings”
Dwight Marshalleck, writer and teacher, at the Shen Yun performance in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on March 21 (NTD Television)
Dwight Marshalleck, writer and teacher, saw Shen Yun in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on March 21.
“I love that flow and the movement. The use of color with that fixed background. And this performance really captures feelings. Feelings and emotions are very alive. So I’m looking to sample some of that methodology in my own musical that I’m producing,” Mr. Marshalleck said.
Local Officials Welcome Shen Yun in Person
Dean Trantalis, Mayor of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, welcomed Shen Yun in person with a proclamation at the Shen Yun New World Company’s performance on March 22.
Mayor Trantalis said after seeing the performance, “In terms of costume, dance, choreography,... everything about it is magical... It just was an amazing experience!”
“We’re very, very thankful that Shen Yun came to Fort Lauderdale... We’re happy to have it here every year, year after year!” he said.
Erica Stewart, Mayor of San Luis Obispo, California, presents Shen Yun with a proclamation in person at the performance in San Luis Obispo on March 26.
Mayor Stewart said after seeing the performance, “It’s an amazing show and I think that we are lucky in San Luis Obispo of 47,000 people to be able to see such an amazing production.”
To the performers, she said, “Thank you so much for sharing your art, coming here and sharing with San Luis Obispo the beauty and all of your hard work.”
Upcoming Performances
Shen Yun continues its 2023 tour with upcoming performances in Omaha, Nebraska, April 3–4; Seattle, Washington, April 5–9; Jacksonville, Florida, April 5–6; New York City, New York, April 6–16; Nantes, France, April 3–5; Bergamo, Italy, April 5–7; Toronto, Canada, April 4–9; and Adelaide, Australia, April 6–9.
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