(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Kevin Edwards, Mayor of the Town of Three Hills in Alberta, was delighted with the Shen Yun Performing Arts show he attended with his wife, Lea, on Sunday at Calgary's Jubilee Auditorium.

Mr. Kevin Edwards, Mayor of the Town of Three Hills in Alberta

"It's marvelous, marvelous. We're enjoying it tremendously. I can't believe the excitement of the dance, the color, the movement, the sound. It's just incredible," he said. Mrs. Edwards agreed, "I've never seen anything like this before. This is just wonderful!"

Mr. Edwards said, "I fully expected the grace, the elegance of the movement, but I was surprised at how lively some of the dance and some of the music is. That surprised me. It really picked up your spirits."

He said one of the pieces that "really clicked" for him was "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution." "The story of the young man and his wife and daughter who were clearly attacked for their beliefs--what a wonderful ending that story had. That was gratifying. Touching and gratifying," said Mayor Edwards.

Mrs. Edwards said she enjoyed the explanation given by the MCs before each act. She said, "The elegance of the dance is very fetching. It calms and excites you at the same time. Western dance tends to be a little more abrupt, perhaps, less graceful. But Chinese dance, and I guess this is reflective of the culture, is quite spiritually uplifting."

Mr. Edwards added, "We were very pleased to receive an invitation to see this event tonight. What I appreciate about tonight is that it shows the hearts, the minds, and the spirit of the Chinese people, and I find that captivating."

"I echo what he says," said Mrs. Edwards. "It's just magnificent. It's so graceful and so soothing--very soothing.

The mayor concluded by saying, "I said once to someone, that Alberta just celebrated its first century of existence, and the Chinese culture has been in existence for almost 40 centuries I think. So we have much to learn from you, much to admire and respect, and we're grateful for this chance to be reminded of that again."

Mr. Larry Henkelman, mayor of Ponoka, was also in attendance at the show on Sunday, April 12, and said his first exposure to traditional Chinese culture was indeed a night to remember. "When the curtain opened, it was just: 'Wow!' he exclaimed.

Mr. Larry Henkelman, Mayor of Ponoka

"It was fantastic. The dress and the costumes are very colourful, and I enjoyed the explanation of the dances. The announcers [were] very good."

The mayor explained that he appreciated the announcers giving historical and cultural explanations for each of Shen Yun's dances, and this helped him enjoy his major interest in the show--its cultural aspects.

Mayor Henkelman said just seeing traditional Chinese culture presented this way was stimulating for him. He particularly noted the performances that featured drums, "Dragon Springs Drummers" and "The Five Millennia Begin." He said the dance "Welcoming Spring" with beautiful maidens beckoning in the season was "very beautiful." He said he understood the meaning behind "Monk Ji Gong Abducts the Bride." But the mayor was most touched by "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution," which he said brought "tears to your eyes."

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15258/
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