(Minghui.org) Shen Yun's magic was in full bloom over the holidays. Between Christmas and New Year's Day, four touring companies of the world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts put on a total of 20 performances in four cities: Austin, Texas; Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Québec City, Canada.

Shen Yun performs in Québec City, Atlanta, Austin and Houston

Shen Yun brought holiday joy to tens of thousands of theatergoers in the four cities. Many of them were inspired by Shen Yun's beauty, perfect synchronization of dance and music, and integration of history and present day life. The divine element of the true Chinese culture has come across as well.

Newt Gingrich Lauds Shen Yun's Artistry

One of the many distinguished guests at the Dec. 27 Shen Yun show in Atlanta, Georgia, was former Speaker of the House and Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich.

Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista Gingrich

Mr. Gingrich thought the performance was “very enjoyable” and that it provided people with a “better understanding of Chinese civilization.”

“[Shen Yun] really integrated the movie screen and the dancers remarkably well—I think as well as any program I’ve seen,” Mr. Gingrich said.

Mr. Gingrich and his family attend Shen Yun in Atlanta, Georgia

Mrs. Gingrich described the collaboration between the dancers and the live orchestra of both classical Western and Chinese instruments, as “a beautiful display of musical artistry,” adding, “It’s so elegant and so beautifully uniform … very, very impressive.”

The couple mentioned that they have “a number of friends who are planning to go when [Shen Yun] comes to Washington. They are very excited by it and think of it as a tremendous achievement that [Shen Yun] has put this together.”

True Chinese Culture and Its Divine Element

Mr. Rick Pitt saw Shen Yun in Atlanta on December 28.

Rick Pitt, president of a hearing aid sales company, was delighted to see a new side of China besides the bullying and severe air pollution: “It's so refreshing to see the beauty and elegance of this show. It's a whole new side to me of Chinese and exposure to the elegance and beauty of it. Grace.

“We are divine. The purposes of our lives are to recognize that and to live that, experience that, which was what the meditation and, from what I'm seeing here, what it is about to be true Chinese. That's what it is about – to find the Buddha within and to live that in daily life... There's that element of life in the culture. The atheism robs us of a fundamental obligation, which is to know the divine within, and to live that and share it,” he added.

“Like Traveling from Dynasty to Dynasty”

François Brisson, an influential figure in Québec's real estate industry, said that he and his wife, Lise Jacob, could “feel an explosion of joy” while watching the performance.

Mr. François Brisson with his family

“It is a way to circulate back and forth between the historical past and the daily present life of China. Here we are given 5,000 years of China and this perspective is really exceptional!”

Mrs. Brisson explained, “We can see respect for their history, a very ancient and colorful history, with an integration of present day life, a desire of more freedom, while integrating their traditions.”

Former Radio-Canada journalist and current Québec minister, Bernard Drainville, took his wife and three children to see Shen Yun at the Grand Théâtre in Québec City, Canada.

“It’s a very pleasant show and wonderful to see with the whole family,” explained Mr. Drainville. "It’s like traveling from dynasty to dynasty, from one Chinese region to another."

Mr. Bernard Drainville, a Minister in Quebec's Provincial Parliament

Shen Yun Melts Away Anxiety and Makes Room for Beauty

Renowned figure skater Lorie-Anne Pelchat said that she “was totally enchanted” when she saw Shen Yun in Québec on December 28.

“Something happened in that show,” she explained. “I feel it greatly refreshed me, as if I had been cleansed from the world of animosity in which we live, where the rhythm is that extreme: traffic, work, and so forth… It feels like it softens it all to make room for beauty. I have been dazzled by all the good things Shen Yun has to offer.”

Lorie-Anne's mom, Lucie Pomerleau, who accompanied her to the performance, said that Shen Yun's spiritual content really spoke to her: “We live in such a materialistic world. Yet at the same time, we can't prevent ourselves from liking beauty, that beauty in which Shen Yun immerses us with pleasure.”

Professor Volker Bromm with the Department of Astronomy at University of Texas, Austin, said that he saw the “humanity, care of nature, and the care of common understanding of values” portrayed in Shen Yun.

He commented on traditional Chinese values, saying that they “can make all of us think lightly about our busy lives and petty conflicts. We have limited time on Earth, so we should make good use of it.”

Sylvie Couture, a masseuse-physiotherapist who operates her own clinic, said that the Shen Yun performance was “divine.”

“It’s pure. It touches the soul and you can’t be insensitive to such a wonderful show. With the costumes, it’s grand and magnificent, and you’re left speechless. It’s a beautiful show,” she exclaimed.“It’s really 'whoa'! There’s no words to describe the show.”

Ms. Couture said that she found spiritual comfort in Shen Yun: “It heals the soul for sure,” she said. “The show is nourishing, so for people who really need to change their routine, it’s a show to see – to be nourished, it’s a nice gift to give oneself.”

Perfect Synchronization and Precision

Another member of the audience, Robert Jones, a retired veteran violist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, said that he was “very much amazed” by the Shen Yun Orchestra.

He said that he was well aware of the “difficulty of an ensemble and having 15 to 16 dancers. You seldom see that many people in classical ballet doing a coordinated dance with such perfect timing.”

“The synchronization between the dance and music on the stage between the two elements is just perfection! Absolutely. I see nothing that I can say, 'Oh, this is out of sync.' No. It's just perfectly coordinated... I know what it's like to tour. They have to get used to different acoustics. They have to get used to different stages,” Mr. Jones was very impressed by Shen Yun's professionalism and hard work.

(L-R) Claudia Lenz, Shannon Erickson, Tiffany Nirider, and Natalie Skrehot enjoyed the Shen Yun performance at Jones Hall in Houston, Texas.

“The precision of the movement is so captivating, and it just draws you in,” said dance instructor Tiffany Nirider, after seeing classical Chinese dance performed by Shen Yun Performing Arts at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston on December 26.

“Rich—that’s the one word that comes to mind,” Ms. Nirider said.

“It was very stimulating,” She added. “It was visually beautiful, it just appealed to all the senses through the music and through the costuming … and I loved that everything had a storyline.”

Shen Yun's Energy “Extremely Happy”

Dan Clayton, a designer and artist, with his family

Dan Clayton, a designer and artist, said that he was “inspired” by Shen Yun's performance at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, in Austin, Texas, on Dec. 28. “It’s certainly marvelous,” he exclaimed.

“I really enjoy all the creativity on stage with all the dance movements, absolutely beautiful. The dress and the costumes are absolutely magnificent—they’re wonderful—such detail!”

Mr. Clayton, who has worked as a designer for companies like American Airlines, Pixar, Warner Brothers, Disney, and JC Penney, described Shen Yun's energy as “extremely happy, very uplifting, very bright, and very positive.”

“I see a lot of beauty, grace, color, and storyline; it all blends together,” he enthused. “It’s so detailed [and] complete with this culture, just amazing.”

Professor Impressed with Shen Yun's “Sheer Courageousness”

Lynn Wallisch and Samuel Cohn (right) saw a linking of "5,000 years of magnificent history" when they attended Shen Yun Performing Arts' Friday performance at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin on December 27.

“Chinese culture was remarkable,” said Samuel Cohn, PhD, professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University, after seeing the Shen Yun show on December 27. “What impressed me was the sheer courageousness of putting together the show.”

Mr. Cohn said that the “supreme skill of the music and the dance” was unlike anything he had seen before.

“The dance was superlative,” he said. “All of it was really, really striking. Traditional Chinese culture is magnificent, and these people do it very well.

“The portrait of persecution, the portrait of idealism, the portrait of linking oneself to 5,000 years of magnificent history—that was all stunning.”