(Minghui.org) During the second week of January 2025, seven of Shen Yun’s eight touring companies presented 39 performances in 12 cities in Italy, Poland, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Shen Yun New York Company at the Teatro Regio Torino in Torino, Italy, on the evening of January 10. The company present six performances in Torino January 7–12, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun World Company at the Eventim Apollo in London, United Kingdom, on the afternoon of January 12. The company presented seven performances in London January 7–12, all to packed houses. The performers took two bows after almost every performance. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun International Company at a full house at The Centre for the Meeting of Cultures - Opera Hall in Lublin, Poland, on January 11. The company presented three performances in Lublin January 11–14, with the performance on January 14 being added to the original schedule due to high demand. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun North America Company at the Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, on the afternoon of January 12. The company presented three performances in Berkeley January 10–12, all to full houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New World Company at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, on January 12. The company presented four performances in Miami January 10–12. (The Epoch Times)
New York State Assembly Members Welcome Shen Yun
Prior to Shen Yun’s tour in New York, four members of the New York State Assembly issued a citation recognizing the performing arts company.
Shen Yun received a citation signed by New York State Assembly members (left to right, top to bottom): John K. Mikulin, Douglas M. Smith, Jodi Giglio, and Karl A. Brabenec (The Epoch Times)
Citation issued by four members of the New York State Assembly (The Epoch Times)
“Absolutely Exhilarating”
Mayor of Baton Rouge Sid Edwards presented a proclamation to two Shen Yun performers at the Baton Rouge River Center Theatre on January 12. (The Epoch Times)
Sid Edwards, the mayor of Baton Rouge, saw Shen Yun with his family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 12. He also presented a proclamation to the company.
“It was absolutely exhilarating. It was beautiful. Quite a performance. I just came away so impressed and so happy that my family and I got to experience this,” said Mr. Edwards.
“It was very educational. How culturally different each area is—that’s what struck me... I think it’s tremendous. I think it needs to be seen. It needs to be learned. And what a great educational venue for that to happen.
“I thought [the stories] melded together, and I liked the order in which they went in. Really good,” said the mayor.
He shared that Shen Yun is something everyone should experience. “I would tell people, ‘You have to come experience this. You have to come to see it. It’s hard to describe,’” he said.
“I just want to congratulate them on a job well done and how beautiful a story is written through art tonight. Just congratulations, and I’m proud of them,” said Mr. Edwards.
“Hope and Restoration of Morality”
Maurizio Marrone, councilor for Italy’s Piedmont region, at the Shen Yun performance in Torino on January 10 (The Epoch Times)
Maurizio Marrone, councilor for Italy’s Piedmont region, saw Shen Yun in Torino on January 10. This was the second time he has seen Shen Yun.
“Wonderful and extraordinary... Their dance skills were superb,” Mr. Marrone said.
“(Shen Yun) brings hope and restoration of morality... Every Italian citizen should come see this performance,” he said.
“Touches the Human Soul”
Kathy Baker at the Shen Yun performance in Baton Rouge on January 12 (The Epoch Times)
Kathy Baker, vice chair of Opéra Louisiane and owner of two hotels, saw Shen Yun in Baton Rouge on January 12.
“Every moment was stunningly beautiful. It was amazing that the performers could do all those moves but were also very strong,” Ms. Baker said.
“I think the beauty of the performance touches the human soul,” she said.
“I Felt Deeply Moved”
Emmy-award-winning singer-songwriter Marger Sealey (left) at the Shen Yun performance in Miami on January 10 (The Epoch Times)
Emmy-award-winning singer-songwriter Marger Sealey saw Shen Yun’s evening show in Miami on January 10.
“It’s a show that we, Latinos and Spanish speakers, should see, and not just because it’s important to educate ourselves and learn more about history to avoid repeating the same mistakes,” Ms. Sealey said.
“This show reminds us of our mission and that life is fragile—things that we take for granted could be delicate. Through music, dance, and the staging, I can really connect with ancient China. I felt deeply moved. There were moments where I broke down emotionally,” she said.
Ms. Sealey was moved by Shen Yun’s story-based dance, bringing attention to the ongoing persecution of people of faith by the communist regime in present-day China.
“The moments depicting the persecution—the lack of freedom to express oneself, the lack of empathy as a form of control—there was also a part where the manipulation of the media is evident, presenting something as perfect, but everything’s orchestrated. There were many messages [in the show]: compassion, love, forgiveness, history, and the sad realities occurring in many of our countries,” she said.
“As a Venezuelan, I see a reflection of what we’re living through, which is perfectly portrayed in this work. Many people can come and see Shen Yun, and, by understanding what’s happening in China, see what’s happening in my country and other parts of Latin America.”
Ms. Sealey also enjoyed the depiction of the divine in the performance and the music, saying that it brought her peace and made her feel relieved.
“I leave here with my heart and body relaxed. Music is healing—it heals the body and soul,” she added. “All the instruments and songs have a profound message. Congratulations—beautiful, truly beautiful.”
The message she will be bringing home with her is “to stay firm, to remain aware, and be awakened.”
“As a musician and artist, [traditional Chinese culture] reminded me of my true mission on this Earth. It reminded me that we are not separate—we are not disconnected from China or its culture. In the end, the divine and the earthly are not separate either. We are a unity,” she said.
Tearing up with emotion, Ms. Sealey said she would like to “thank the entire Shen Yun company for their mission to raising awareness for love, education, and culture, and for offering their art, virtue, sacrifice, and effort in awakening the Western world.”
“As a Hispanic, I think we need to connect with Eastern culture. Its philosophies are very necessary and are within us as well. Sometimes, Western philosophies divide us, but we need to realize that we’re not separated—even though China seems geographically distant. It’s necessary and important to learn the history of every country and society because that’s the only way to avoid repeating [the same mistakes],” she said.
“A Pure Form of Love and Divinity That Is Within Us”
Andres Daza and Minerva Borjas at the Shen Yun performance in Miami on January 12 (The Epoch Times)
Singer, composer, vocal producer, and TV presenter Minerva Borjas and multimedia music producer Andres Daza saw Shen Yun in Miami on January 12.
Ms. Borjas emphasized “the crafting, the impeccable execution of the artistic part, the choreography, and the beauty of the color combinations of the costumes” and how “everything [comes together] to generate an atmosphere and an impressively powerful effect.
“I think that art has always been a very beautiful form of expression, but I think that when it is taken to a more historical, more cultural level, it has a little more power and weight,” she said.
“It was spectacular,” Mr. Daza said, adding that he was “inspired and touched in a profound way by a completely foreign story, from another part of the world, but one that has a lot of themes parallel to spirituality and the search for the truth of ourselves, no matter where we are from, where we come from, how we are.”
As a singer, Ms. Borjas was also impressed by the bel canto performance. “You can see that he’s very upright and very present in his conviction. It is very nice to see him and admire him,” she said.
Ms. Borjas said that Shen Yun was an example of art that is created for the purpose of connecting to something bigger. She also said that she could feel the energy from the music performed by Shen Yun’s live orchestra.
“The music is very powerful [and connects to an] indescribable, almost magical place,” she said. “All the images... of divinity in the company of music, [it] makes you feel embraced by that divinity.”
“[I’m] very grateful that they made all this effort to bring us that example of love, of divinity and compassion as well,” she said.
Ms. Borjas, who experienced living under a communist regime in Venezuela, could see the value in Shen Yun’s efforts to show audiences what is currently going on in present-day China.
“I think that here we see... a people oppressed by a communist government [and] are looking for ways to speak, to be identified, to be recognized... That gives us a lot to think about what kind of art we are going to create today, seeing and being inspired by works like [Shen Yun],” she said.
“Art... transcends even cultural gestures. I think we can all understand beauty without it having a sticker on it. As an artist, I defend and support everything that has to do with that purity that connects us.”
Ms. Borjas said she would recommend Shen Yun to those around her. “It is a unique opportunity to admire and support a movement like this, so that there will continue to be more,” she said. “Come to experience a pure form of love and divinity that is within us.”
“Message of Love”
Charles Taylor and Elena Belova at the Shen Yun performance in Miami on January 11 (The Epoch Times)
Charles Taylor, a pastor and entrepreneur, and Elena Belova, an entrepreneur, saw Shen Yun in Miami on January 11.
“The message of spirituality, the message of creation, the message of oneness, the message of unity, the message of love flowed through every song and every dance and every story, and I loved it,” said Mr. Taylor.
“I loved the show from the very beginning to the very end and everything in between. It was absolutely phenomenal. The music, the dance, the message was just so deep and moving and heart-moving. It was beautiful. Absolutely amazing,” he said.
Ms. Belova agreed, and said the message was a dearly relevant one. “I believe that this world needs more love, and this show helps us how to find this love, and how to be just good and kind,” she said. “We need it. The world needs it.
“It’s very, very, very important, and I’m so glad that this show travels all around the globe and more people can see it and more people can relate to that,” she said.
Mr. Taylor said the message of compassion was present in every story in Shen Yun. “I think in every story there was an aspect of mercy and compassion,” he said. “And acceptance and, well, and even forgiveness... Compassion, mercy, forgiveness, grace. It’s a very strong message. Beautiful message. I loved it.
“It’s that message of love that unites humanity. And that’s through every culture and every religion,” he said.
“It’s something that humanity needs. To come together to enjoy to look around and see people from every background receiving the same message of love and spirituality and a Creator that loves humanity,” he said.
“It Was As If I Was in Heaven”
Musician Ocean Naeim saw Shen Yun in Berkeley on January 12. He said he had always wanted to see Shen Yun since he came to America. In China, he had also suffered persecution at the hands of the Chinese communist regime and said he was supportive of Shen Yun’s mission to show audiences the authentic Chinese culture from before communism.
Mr. Naeim was thoroughly moved by Shen Yun’s depiction of traditional Chinese culture and its divinely inspired nature. He said he was most impressed with Shen Yun’s depiction of the Creator’s love for humanity and the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance through the arts.
“I really hope Shen Yun’s success will grow ever more... and more and more people will come to see and understand this, and the true meaning of those three values,” he said.
A musician himself, Mr. Naeim said he also believed his talent was a gift from the Creator and hoped to, like Shen Yun, use it to express kindness and love.
“What I saw on stage—every performer, every musician, they were perfectly focused,” he said. “I think this state of mind comes from the Falun Gong they practice.
“They were capable of such expression,” Mr. Naeim said. He said he felt the artists were able to perfectly convey the profound meanings and artistic intention behind every music note or movement. “I even cried during the performance a little.
“During the soprano’s solo and some of the dances, my emotions, my joy and tears, were uncontrollable,” he said.
“It was as if I was in heaven,” he said. “From the very moment the performance began, and the production went from 3D to real to 3D again, it was so immersive and exciting.”
Mr. Naeim said he thought what Shen Yun conveyed was “hope.”
“In three hours, through art, music, backdrops, they conveyed a very important message to all of these people,” he said. “Everyone I saw in the audience, all sorts of people, were so very focused.”
He felt the message he took from the performance was that humanity comes from the Creator, who wishes us to not do evil, but return to kindness. He said that, through kindness, individuals light up their communities, which then eventually could influence the world and wipe out the darkness, and Shen Yun showed a microcosm of that lit-up world in vivid color.
“We should consider Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance and do our best to pass on that positive energy,” he said.
“This performance really thoroughly moved me. I had looked into Falun Gong before... which in China is subject to propaganda and smears. When I finally came to America, I came across it again, and Shen Yun, and finally understood what it really stood for... These people have compassion in their hearts,” he said.
Mr. Naeim said he has been in America for eight years now and regrets he had not been able to see Shen Yun earlier.
“I hope Shen Yun does even better and better and more and more people come to understand it,” he said.
“A Celebration of the Human Spirit”
Thornell Jones, Jr. at the Shen Yun performance in Miami on January 12 (The Epoch Times)
Thornell Jones, Jr. saw Shen Yun in Miami on January 12. Mr. Jones has worked in the entertainment marketing industry for over two decades and has represented Grammy Award winners.
“Top of mind... The show was remarkable,” Mr. Jones said. “The troupe was absolutely world-class. The precision of the choreography, the costuming, the storytelling, it was all really, really remarkable.”
A big fan of orchestral music, Mr. Jones enjoyed listening to the music performed by Shen Yun’s live orchestra. “The wonderful mix of Western instruments and Eastern instruments, traditional Chinese instruments, was definitely ear candy,” he said.
“The choreography was remarkable... It was a refreshing look at traditional dance that I’ve actually never seen before,” he said.
Shen Yun’s opening scene depicts divine beings following the Creator down to Earth to establish human civilization. Mr. Jones felt that the scene was “very much in alignment” with his own spiritual beliefs.
“We are... spiritual beings having a human experience,” he said.
Through the millennia, “people and their spiritual and physical needs are all the same, and many of the traditional stories are the same worldwide,” he said, reflecting on the performance.
“[Shen Yun] was a celebration of the human spirit regardless of the specifics of it being based in traditional Chinese history,” Mr. Jones said.
For more information about performance times, locations, and tickets, please visit www.shenyun.com.
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