Shen Yun performed at the Miller High Life Theatre in Milwaukee this weekend. The company’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture that was almost lost under communist rule.
Audience member Kelly Lyons, the business owner of Blue Skies Holistic Care, said she had been to China before and only seen Chinese performances with a modern twist, but Shen Yun portrayed the traditional culture of the people.
“So it feels like there’s this big gap between, like, where the country is today, and what they’re trying to present themselves as today and what their history and tradition is in the culture of the people,” she said.
Seth Newman, the vice president of SportingSmiles, said: “China is so traditionally [and] culturally rich. There [are] so many stories I wasn’t aware of and so many traditions that I didn’t know about. And it was just really cool to learn about that stuff. Journey to the West was actually one that I knew of before. But then just to see all the other little tidbits and story was really unique and fun.”
Along with stories of ancient legends, Shen Yun shines a spotlight on current issues surrounding communist China’s persecution of faith through forced organ harvesting, using the medium of classical Chinese dance and music.
“The fact that the Chinese Communist Party can justify doing that to another human being is intolerable. It is one of the things that motivated me to come to the show, that Shen Yun is trying to get the word out,” said Michael Steck, business owner of Steck Eye Care.
“As much as they try to cover up that it’s not happening, I believe that it is. There’s evidence that it is. It really is evidence of an evil in the world. Unfortunately one that we must live amongst, and only our belief and reach toward living in righteousness and toward a higher being will allow us in this life or the next to surpass that evil,” said John Daigneau, a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual.
“I could sense all the emotions, the expressions, the message all just in the movements, of course, also the videography, the scenes, the lights, everything just added onto it. But really, I just really saw the soul of the dancers and the message within all of that. It was mind-blowing. It just touched my heart,” said Joyeeta Nag, a risk client care advocate at Northwestern Mutual.
Shen Yun will perform in Fort Smith, Arkansas on Feb. 6.
NTD News, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
