(Minghui.org) After seeing some reports recently that maliciously attack Shen Yun, Fei Tian Academy and Fei Tian College, we feel that we need to share our own experiences as the parents of a Fei Tian College student in order to refute those untrue and biased accusations.
My Son Was Determined to Join Shen Yun
We took our son to watch Shen Yun every year when the show came to our city and he really loved it. He enjoyed stories from classical Chinese culture since he was young and wished that he could one day join Shen Yun so that he could help promote traditional Chinese culture. As his parents, we shared the same wish.
We enrolled our son at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts when he met the admission requirements in terms of age, height and flexibility, but was advised that he needed to lose some weight. We had two months before the formal assessment. We searched on the internet for suggestions on weight loss and changed our diet and increased our daily exercise. We avoided carbs or sugary food such as rice, flour, ice cream and soft drinks, and had more proteins like beef and chicken, as well as vegetables and fruit. Within two months, my son lost 20 pounds – an amazing result, thanks to his strong determination.
My Son’s Amazing Changes at Fei Tian
After my son was accepted by Fei Tian, the teacher arranged two students to help him settle in. I thought they would only show him the way to the dorm, but they helped carry all his luggage. They chatted and laughed like old friends. I was very impressed to see these youngsters being so kind and friendly, even though they’d only met my son for the first time.
At home, my son always enjoyed playing around with friends, regardless of where he was. Each time I told him to quiet down, he wouldn’t listen and appeared rather unhappy. Not long after he was admitted to Fei Tian, I got a phone call from him. He told me he was doing well and said, “Mom, I was running around in the dining hall after lunch the other day, but almost immediately I felt I shouldn’t be acting that way, so I told my classmates to remind me if I behave like that again.” I was really pleased that my son has learned to be mindful of his behavior and wants to change for the better.
I thought it might take him a while before he got used to being away from home, but each time he called, he was very happy and there were friends around him chatting and laughing. He also asked his friends to say hello to me. He said, “Over here, if there are any conflicts between students, everyone looks within and tries to do better. There are no grudges among us.” We could feel that our son had become more exuberant and kindhearted.
For children who want to specialize in performing arts, they all train very hard and keep improving themselves. Before our son went to Fei Tian, we always had to remind him to practice stretching and some basic dancing skills, but now he practices on his own whenever he has time, and really enjoys the training. Very often, the teacher on duty has to tell him to go to bed when he stays up too late.
Before he went to study at Fei Tian, we worried a lot about the excessive use of electronic products available to children these days. We’d had quite a few arguments about that with our son. We also took away his tablet and stopped his online extracurricular classes. But the school provided a computer to every student and he also needed to use the computer for his schoolwork. We were quite worried, and for a while we were even thinking of transferring him to a religious school or homeschooling him.
After our son went to Fei Tian, we no longer worry about such things, because students there only access relevant content for their studies on school computers, without any unhealthy or addictive stuff. Most students choose to practice their dancing skills in their spare time. My son told me that he was the happiest whenever he made some progress. I could feel that he was turning into a very happy and positive young lad.
My son came home during the school holiday. We were very impressed with his changes from the inside out after only a short time. In the past, when we said something that he disliked, he would get angry and talk back. We tried very hard to help him understand that it was wrong to do so, but he refused to listen. But now, he was a totally different person, very kind and considerate of others.
In the past, we had to call him a number of times in the morning before he got up, but now he got up very early himself, to study the Fa, do the exercises, and send forth righteous thoughts. In the past, when he did the exercises with us, his movements were rather floppy, especially when he was doing the second exercise, but now he was doing every movement perfectly.
Stretching and splitting exercises can be very painful. In the past, as soon as he felt the pain was a bit too much, he would stop, and say “Well, this is how far I can go.” But now, when he stretched his legs, when the pain was too much that he could not help shedding tears, he still persevered, and pushed even harder. This was unthinkable in the past.
He also helped us with household chores whenever he saw something that needed to be done. Sometimes, we took him out to play during the day, and when we came back, he would still finish what he needed to do, such as studying the Fa and doing the exercises. He said that doing the exercises was the best way to rest. He had let go of so many bad habits he used to have, and turned into a totally different person. We were so impressed and felt very happy as parents.
Epilogue
At Fei Tian, students are free of the bad influence of an unhealthy social atmosphere, and receive an excellent education and training from professional and caring teachers. Students help and care for each other like friends in a very safe environment. In addition, Fei Tian also offers free tuition and free board to all students. Seeing how our son is changing for the better, as a parent, I can’t think where I could find a better school than Fei Tian.
From watching productions on the Shen Yun Creations website, I noticed that in some families, all the siblings are attending Fei Tian and pursuing a career in the performing arts. Our son’s younger sister is also keen to follow her brother and go to Fei Tian in the future. We hope that her wish will also come true one day.
Nowadays, whenever we talk to our son on the phone, one thing we always say to him is: “Be grateful, and truly cherish the precious opportunity you have.”
Indeed, both our son and we as parents feel extremely grateful for everything that Fei Tian provides for the youngsters.
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Category: Perspectives
