SHEN YUN Audience Reviews

Shen Yun Performing Arts came back to New York in April 2012 for a seven show run for those who missed the five sold- out performances in January. The April performances were also full, and among the audience members, many of them made a special trip here from China just to see Shen Yun. Mr. Guo, a trade official from China, was one. He learned about Shen Yun’s performance when he was in the United States this February, and made a special trip to New York to watch Shen Yun in April. “It’s a magnificent performance, and the Chinese leaders need to see it,” said

Guo in tears.

“This is the best show I have seen in my life and I will remember it the rest ofmy life. It is so beautiful, compassionate, and traditional.” “I see today how theWestern mainstream cherishes and values traditional Chinese culture. It’s a shame people in China cannot see it. I see today the audiences were inspired, and I also see the hope of China.” “It’s soul- stirring! Truly soul- stirring! I tried so hard not to let my tears pour down when I was in the middle of the performance but my heart is surging and trembling.” “The songs come from the heart of the soloist and echo in my heart,” he said. “It’s the sincerity that touches the deepest level of my heart and connects with me. This is the first time in my life that I see such incredibly beautiful and sincere performance.” Speaking as a professor at Pepperdine University, specializing in psychopharmacology, clinical neuropsychology, and physiological psychology in the graduate programs, “I think this show is

needed. I’m a doctor ... and it’s almost needed medicine for a pretty wounded country,” said Mr. Harold Burke. “The symbolism of wisdom, spirituality, suffering, reincarnation and trying to live a life that has meaning for helping the world, comes through in the whole show with a lot of quintessentially beautiful, flowing, aesthetic movements.” Mr. Burke played in the Santa Fe opera for about 15 years, was a professional French Horn musician for a number of years, and played the piano. “So I love great art, I love the transcendence of music and dance and great culture. This comes across in the show. The flowing aspect is really important. I liked it very much.” He saw depth in Shen Yun’s story dances and music. “I think the meaning is the transcendent aspect of life. ... That came across in the very beginning. Beauty is an eternal, transcendental quality and I think the show did that.” “It’s not Maoist or socialist or anything— it’s actually China, not communist China,” said Faisal Qazi, editor and reporter of Harbinger Weekly, a Pakistani publication. “This is a different China. This is the China as it was before 1949, and that’s what the original roots are— it’s the spiritual China, which people should know about.” Kami Butt, a reporter for the Texas- based publication Pakistani Spectator, agreed, saying the performance was an important reminder of universal principles and values to guide one’s life. “All the people of the world, we’ve become so materialistic, but in the back of our minds we know these [ principles],” he said. “But a show like this, there’s a common string of belief— whether you’re Chinese, white, black, Muslim, Asian.”

“I’d do anything to see it again,” said Dr. William Mathews, a collector of art. “Everybody should see something this exciting. Just beautifully done.” “Beautifully put together,” said his wife, Irene Mathews. “I don’t see how they

could do anything more fantastic. So I agree with my husband, everyone in the world should see it.” She commented on how the tones of the colors in the backdrop reflected the tones of the dancers’ costumes. “I’m always looking for the colors,” Mrs. Mathews said, “because I’m also an interior designer, and I notice color a lot. I noticed the colors in the show because some of the blues were strong— in the sky— some of them were muted, but they all create such a mood that puts the dancers in this landscape, which goes along with the mood.” “The dancers were so graceful, and it fit in with the music so much that it flowed beautifully, and it just was a very serene event,” she said. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful experience,” said Journalist and best selling author Ken Timmerman. “Something I’d never seen before,” he said. “Everything stands out. As an American, this is such a wonderful new experience— both the fantastic costumes and expressions of the tableaus at the end of each piece— absolutely fantastic.” Mr. Timmerman is also an activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and former GOP Senate and House Representative candidate. He said Shen Yun helps audiences understand “what’s going on inside China today.” “This is certainly a new form, a new art form for me as an American. It’s not like a classic opera or ballet— it’s something very different, with the mixture of costumes and music and dancing, which is absolutely sensational.” “Every aspect of the show was outstanding. It’s a great pleasure and honor to be here.”

“I’d recommend the performance

to everyone,” said B. J. Penn, former acting secretary of the U. S. Navy. “I have several friends in Providence, so I’m going to call them tonight and tell them they must see this show when it gets there.” Mr. Penn was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in the United States Department of the Navy from 2005 to 2009. He also served as acting United States Secretary of the Navy from March to May 2009. “The message was good— the world is changing and I think this show depicted that.” His wife, Loretta Penn, president of executive coaching company Spherion Staffing Services, said the production was spectacular. “The art of each individual, to be able to dance so perfectly, and then to tell the story so well, and of course the color, the background, all of the things to make the people look so beautiful— together it was truly spectacular,” Mrs. Penn said. “I enjoyed it immensely.” “I recommend that he [ President Barack Obama] should come— him and the first lady, the family, the whole entourage,” said Emmanuel Gomez, who works at the White House. “From other shows I’ve seen around the world, this one— by far— is the best one.” “The message of the show is basically faith," he said. " Holding on to your beliefs, to your

culture, your roots and to keep going forward. Don’t let those die.” Mr. Gomez said he felt that the American people can benefit from watching Shen Yun. “We see all this famine and destruction around the world, even in our country. I believe something like this can open the hearts and minds of people.” “I thought it was going to be only dancing, but when they incorporated the music, the live orchestra, and video in the back, everything was so well connected,” Mr. Gomez said. “It’s amazing.”

“I recommend it for everybody.”

Leading Hollywood television and movie screenwriter Richard Walter came to see Shen Yun, and related the performance to his own line of work. “The show is beautiful, very beautiful. I love that it’s essentially storytelling, which is what I do, and what I teach,” he said. “It’s a beautiful ensemble, many different kinds of craft and art and yet it all works

together as a single unified enterprise. … The wardrobe is so exquisite, it’s something I’ve never really seen before. And it’s not just something to wear that looks beautiful, though it does look beautiful, but it’s also a part of the dance. Almost as if the wardrobe itself were dancing.” Performing arts have always been something universal, and Mr. Walter found that in Shen Yun. “Not just Chinese, but worldwide. … I think

that’s what art does very well. It seems to be about somebody else, but it’s really about you.” Legendary actress Margaret O’Brien was the youngest star to receive an Academy Award for Outstanding Juvenile Performer in 1944. She has four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards. Her career has covered not only film but also stage, Broadway shows, television, and radio. She was thrilled to watch Shen Yun.

“It was so fabulous. This is my birthday present, today’s my birthday. I wanted to see this show so much!” Ms. O’Brien was accompanied by her manager, Mr. Malone, who said, “She had been told so many times, from very wonderful performers, how great [ Shen Yun] was. We are so honored.” Ms. O’Brien appreciated the amount of training required by the dancers. “I know how difficult dancing is because I’ve been a dancer, my mother was a dancer, so I know what hard work it is. I love the dancing and precision. Elegant! Beautiful! It’s everything I thought it would be— just wonderful!”