Shen Yun's Spirituality Applauded by Chicago Theatergoers (Photos)

(Minghui.org) The world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts staged four enchanting shows at the Cadillac Palace Theater, in Chicago, Illinois, from May 10-12, 2013. Audiences were awed by the grace and beauty of Chinese legends and how they seemingly sprang to life on stage.

Shen Yun’s Ethnic Dances Impress County Official

Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board president

Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board president, described Shen Yun as a “great show,” adding that she was “impressed by the athleticism of the dancers and the great variety of the performances.”

Ms. Preckwinkle especially enjoyed the dance set, “Sand Monk Is Blessed,” noting the overall “beauty of the costumes” in the show. Shen Yun costumes span different dynasties of China as well as different regions, with various traditional folk costumes on display.

She said the very ethnic nature of Chinese culture “is represented in the [Shen Yun] dances.” She elaborated, “I think when we think of China we usually think of the Han Chinese, but there are really a lot of ethnic groups in China that were represented in the show. I think it is good to have people exposed to the arts of different cultures and races. This is really an opportunity for those who are not Chinese to become acquainted with Chinese traditional dances and music.”

Author: Shen Yun “Heavenly, Out of This World!”

Author Jeff Garton

Author Jeff Garton praised Shen Yun, saying, “Outstanding! I love it! Spectacular! This is maybe the fourth time I have seen it.” He described the dance performances as “very athletic, very graceful, very beautiful. Amazingly flexible! Just very passionate!”

Mr. Garton said the Shen Yun Orchestra with its unique blend of classical Western and Chinese instruments was “just fantastic.” He also thought the colors in the show were “out of this world. Heavenly.”

The author said he was moved by the performance, “An Unexpected Encounter,” in which a father and daughter become inadvertently caught up in the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.

Investment Banker: I Feel “One with the Program”

President of Drobe Financial, Talat Othman

Also in the audience was Talat Othman, president of Drobe Financial, who attended the show with his friend. “It makes me feel as though I am one with the program,” the investment banker said. He summed up his experience of Shen Yun saying, “excellent, most unusual, and very impressive.”

Mr. Othman decided to buy tickets to the show after seeing a brochure on the performance. “It looked interesting and not something you usually see, so I called and got tickets and here we are,” he mused.

When asked what his favorite part of the show was, he explained, “Actually all of it is impressive. But, what is most impressive are the scenery and the movement within the background. That’s most unusual.” Mr. Othman also thought Shen Yun’s orchestral music was “exceptional!”

He said he will recommend the show to his friends. “They would be very well entertained. They will see something unusual that I’m sure they have never seen before, and it will be a very pleasant experience.”

Shen Yun’s Expression of Spirituality Impresses Manager

Also attending the show was Tony Delira, a United Parcel Services manager, who came with his wife, Chris, a dental office manager and consultant. “The choreography was just outstanding,” said Mr. Delira. “There was diversity in different cultures. It was phenomenal.”

He said he was also impressed with the colorful costumes. “I don’t think you'd get the same effect if you didn’t have the costumes that the girls wore. And, the [hand-held] fans, that they wore and threw, and used in very different ways.”

Mrs. Delira enjoyed the story lines relating to Buddhas and gods, and the lyrics sung by the solo vocalists. She enjoyed the fact that the “power of god or Buddha was going to prevail.”

She elaborated on the spiritual aspect of the show. “I loved it. I think too many people right now are scared to talk about religion; that it’s not acceptable. The fact that it came out in a big show like this—I loved it and … the courage to do that. Everything that I read [in the translation of the lyrics and program guide] I believe in, and I wish I would have brought my kids.”

Mr. Delira added, “We must have that faith and hope that they showed us in the show. And I believe if we have that faith and hope we will prevail; that it will be a better world.”

His wife agreed. “It will definitely be a better world. It was a brave, brave thing to do. When I was reading the opera they were singing, I was like ‘Yes! Finally!’ This is what we need more, and more of. I’m hoping that the kids and the people [in the audience] caught on to that,” she said.

Mr. Delira remarked about the instruments in the orchestra. “Among all the instruments, I think I counted three that I had never seen before. So, it was pretty impressive. What was most important was the instruments that I've never seen before. I’ve heard them before, but now I could actually see them. It was a learning experience.”

Mr. Delira said that the show “opens up the eyes and encourages one to look a little bit more at the things they were discussing and showing in the show.”

Medical Specialist Applauds Shen Yun

Theatergoer Danie Perez, a pediatrician, was accompanied by his wife, Adriana, a senior vaccine specialist and director of marketing for A to Z Pediatric and Youth Health Care.

The show was an “unexpected mixture” of “spirituality, music, and entertainment,” Mrs. Perez enthused. She said the dance set, “Sewing the Flowers of Heaven,” was “really interesting. It was very beautiful and very enjoyable.”

The couple remarked about the spiritual aspects of the show—qualities that they say are lacking in most contemporary entertainment. “We’re deeply spiritual, so I thought that was nice,” Mrs. Perez said. “Here in the American culture they remove so much spirituality from entertainment. It was very nice to see how it’s embraced here.”

Mr. Perez remarked on the dance sets that touched upon the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. “I think that was something we hear in the media, about the persecution,” said Mr. Perez. “We were surprised it was displayed and portrayed in a performance like this.”

He added, “I was just saying to my wife, I don’t think this show will be playing in China.” Mrs. Perez seemed pleased that Shen Yun had the courage to tackle such an important issue. “I think, sometimes, that what happens in China stays in China,” she said. “We really don’t see it.”

New Understanding of Chinese Culture Gained Through Shen Yun

Joe Pribyl and his wife Mary, who are both psychologists, said they thoroughly enjoyed the show.

“One of the things I noticed,” Mr. Pribyl said, “was the incredible precision of the dancers and the discipline so that they do things exactly the way they planned.”

Both felt like they gained a new understanding of Chinese culture after watching Shen Yun. Mr. Pribyl said he learned that there is a long tradition of preserving and presenting Chinese culture.

Mrs. Pribyl felt that the dance that portrayed the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China gave her a better understanding of the issue. “I heard about it [Falun Gong], but I didn’t know much about it. I just knew there was a group of Falun Gong that was being persecuted in China, so seeing the dance kind of gives you an idea that they’re a very peaceful people that … [they] have strong values and are being persecuted by the government. Very impressive. Sad, but impressive,” she said.

Source: the EpochTimes.com