(Minghui.org) Shen Yun Performing Arts kicked off its 2024 season at the Nagoya Congress Center in Nagoya, Japan, on December 22, 2023.
At the same time, Shen Yun’s seven other touring companies are preparing to perform in Italy, the United Kingdom, and in cities across the United States.
Shen Yun New York Company presented four performances at the Nagoya Congress Center in Nagoya, Japan, on December 22–24, 2023. (public domain)
Shen Yun New York Company’s curtain call at the Nagoya Congress Center on December 24,2023 (The Epoch Times)
“A Touching and Unforgettable Experience that I Will Keep Deep in My Heart”
Tesuji Imazu at Shen Yun’s performance at the Nagoya Congress Center on December 24 (NTD Television)
Tesuji Imazu, the chairman of a maintenance company, and his wife saw Shen Yun in Nagoya on December 24.
“I saw a trailer on TV, and we wanted to come. Our wish came true today,” said Mr. Imazu, who thought the show was “otherworldly and refreshing.”
For him, Shen Yun performers displayed the pure hearts that he thinks everyone should have.
“I experienced the long history of China [today]... Shen Yun made me think that, to walk a righteous path in life, it is important to understand and treat others with empathy,” Mr. Imazu expressed.
Mr. Imazu said Shen Yun not only showcased the long-lost essence of traditional Chinese culture, but also the basic principles of life.
“You can understand these principles when you watch Shen Yun. I resonated deeply with the show. It was a touching and unforgettable experience that I will keep deep in my heart,” he added.
“Very Enjoyable”
Taiki Takano at the Shen Yun performance in Nagoya on December 22 (The Epoch Times)
Company owner Taiki Takano saw Shen Yun in Nagoya on December 22.
“Very enjoyable. I’m having fun!” Mr. Takano said.
“The nature and original appearance of good and evil were displayed very well. If we could all return to this starting point, everyone would be living a happy life.
“If everyone can return to traditions, [the world] will be happy and peaceful. That’s what traditional culture is for,” he said.
“Every Artist Was Outstanding”
Yoshiko Saito at the Shen Yun performance in Nagoya on December 22 (NTD Television)
“It was really wonderful,” said Yoshiko Saito, the director of a health and beauty company who saw Shen Yun on December 22.
Ms. Saito said she had long wished to see Shen Yun and was happy to finally have the chance to see the performance.
“Every artist was outstanding. They were expressing the greatness of their own national culture. I think this is very important to every country. I sincerely hope that this great tradition can always be cherished,” Ms. Saito said.
She was also impressed by Shen Yun’s orchestra that seamlessly combines a classic Western ensemble and traditional Chinese instruments.
“The performance of the orchestra is also amazing. In short, the quality of the performance is really high. All the artists... must have gone through very hard training,” she said.
Ms. Saito expressed that Shen Yun’s efforts to revive Chinese culture make people more aware of their own history and tradition, and this is valuable to the Japanese people.
“History is being presented in the performance. Each of us should pay attention to history and hope that the younger generation can continue to pass it on.
“No matter what happens, you must love your own nation and culture. These are very valuable messages,” she said.
“The Atmosphere Was Also Fantastic”
Hiroshi Ikeno at the Shen Yun performance in Nagoya on December 23 (NTD Television)
Hiroshi Ikeno, a hospital director, saw Shen Yun with his wife Akiko Ikeno on December 23. They had seen Shen Yun several times before.
“Before watching Shen Yun, I didn’t understand [China’s] 5,000 years of traditional culture. And it’s very easy to understand when it’s interpreted through dance. The atmosphere was also fantastic,” Mr. Ikeno said.
Mrs. Ikeno said, “Seeing the beautiful performance made my expression better. It’s a performance that made me happier and happier. That’s why I come to see Shen Yun every year. It’s really great. It’s as if I’ve entered a dreamlike world. I’m so happy. [Shen Yun] is so beautiful, so touching.”
She added, “It’s incredible how easily they seem to perform such difficult movements. I can’t imagine they’re human beings like me; it’s amazing. The live music accompaniment was beautiful, and the erhu performance was something you don’t usually get to see. I’m so happy I had such a precious opportunity to see Shen Yun.”
“Each of Them Was at a Very High Level”
Toshikazu Kudo at the Shen Yun performance in Nagoya on December 23 (NTD Television)
Toshikazu Kudo, an executive director at a beauty and wellness company, saw Shen Yun in Nagoya on December 23.
“The backdrop really blew me away. It was amazing how it worked so well together like magic,” Mr. Kudo said.
“What amazed me about Shen Yun today was not only the action – a great number of actors and actresses appeared in the show, and each of them was at a very high level, which was amazing. All the performers who appeared today were marvelous, and I was very moved.
“I could feel that they prepared very, very much every single day. Their expressions, expressiveness, and richness of heart moved me strongly. Although I couldn’t tell where, deep inside I was touched again and again.
“The artistic director who can produce a show like this is a genius,” said Mr. Kudo.
“Full of Hope”
Yasunori Kosaka at the Shen Yun performance in Nagoya on December 23 (The Epoch Times)
Yasunori Kosaka, director of an acupuncture clinic, saw Shen Yun in Nagoya on December 23.
“Truly great. It’s a performance that is full of hope. Presented the hope of the current world,” Mr. Kosaka said.
“A performance that is full of power. I was deeply moved.
“The music was also wonderful. The music and the backdrops completed each other well. It was very moving. I almost couldn’t hold back my tears,” he said.
Mr. Kosaka said that the messages in Shen Yun “[touch] people’s hearts. It showed what’s currently going on in the world... Having these kind of values [Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance] is very important. Humankind is supposed to have a kind heart. But because of fear, people often hide it to cater to others. Don’t avoid it. I hope people believe in the innate kindness in their heart,” he said.
Shen Yun Global Company Arrives in Milan, Italy
Shen Yun Global Company arrived in Milan, Italy, on December 25, to begin its Italy tour. The artists received a warm welcome from local fans at the airport. (The Epoch Times)
Emcee Xian Lu (The Epoch Times)
Emcee Xian Lu said that it was her first time in Italy and she felt very emotional: “We thought Italy was very pretty when we landed. We want to say to the audiences: we hope they will enjoy our performances.”
She said the messages delivered by Shen Yun are “pure goodness, pure authenticity, and pure beauty, which is something very precious. Because the pace of the current society is so fast, no one is able to calm down and enjoy pure authenticity, pure goodness, and pure beauty.”
She emphasized that Shen Yun’s mission is to “deliver real traditional Chinese culture. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) has now messed up traditional culture. We want to restore real culture and deliver traditional moral values from the heart and from [the basis of] ethics.”
She said she has been with Shen Yun for nine years, and felt that this has brought her “a direction of life.” She said that only through elevating one’s morality can one be closer to the beauty of “the divine.” “The divine is kind, pure, compassionate, and infinitely selfless... I feel that the more I can calm down and adjust my mindset, the more I can elevate my character and morality,” she said.
Emcee John Perry (The Epoch Times)
This was also emcee John Perry’s first time performing in Italy. He said, “I feel great. I have so much excitement, ready to perform.”
“Shen Yun performances are something that you can’t really find anywhere else in the world today,” Mr. Perry explained. “It’s kind of going back beyond the time of the modern culture that we have today and a lot of the modern things, to bring a lot of the traditional, very beautiful ideas, values, and virtues... So I think that’s what makes it really a wonderful, beautiful performance for people, and something that they cherish and brings them hope.”
Erhu soloist Ms. Ma (Marius Iacob/The Epoch Times)
Erhu soloist Ms. Ma said, “I know that the arts in Italian culture, especially music, have very deep history and meaning. So I very much look forward to coming to Italy this time and sharing our Chinese music with Italian audiences.
“I hope everybody can come see the show. Not only can you learn about the essence of traditional Chinese culture, you more so will obtain spiritual elevation,” she said.
Shen Yun Is Welcomed by Local Elected Officials
Prior to Shen Yun’s Italy tour, the company received a congratulatory remark from Elisabetta Zamparutti, a former member of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy, a co-founder of Hands Off Cain, a former member of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture with respect to Italy, and a member of the General Council of the Transnational Radical Party.
In the remark, Ms. Zamparutti wrote about traditional Chinese culture: “This cultural heritage of the entire humankind can help us live in peace and harmony. This type of [cultural] awareness is guided by basic human rights. Because of this awareness, all things, humankind, and the universe are able to live continuously.”
Ms. Zamparutti also wrote, “The Shen Yun performance is fundamentally an embodiment of this awareness. Watching Shen Yun will let you become a participant in the universe’s harmony. Harmony of the universe is a type of principle of order and everything originated from it... This is an important principle that anyone, even the violent regime of the CCP, cannot suppress.”
Two months prior to Shen Yun’s performances in North Carolina in January 2024, Mark Robinson, Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina and President of the Senate, issued a Proclamation proclaiming “January 2024 as Shen Yun Performing Arts Month in North Carolina.” (The Epoch Times)
Prior to Shen Yun’s performances in Pennsylvania at the end of January and in mid-March, Senator Pat Stefano issued a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Provided by Shen Yun’s presenter in Pennsylvania)
Representative Robert W. Mercuri of Pennsylvania’s 28th District also issued Shen Yun a Certificate of Achievement prior to the upcoming performances. (Provided by Shen Yun’s presenter in Pennsylvania)
Upcoming Performances
Shen Yun will continue its 2024 tour with performances in Tokyo (Shibuya), Japan, December 27–29; Florence, Italy, December 27–31; Birmingham, United Kingdom, December 29–31; Houston, Texas, December 27–January 1; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, December 27–28; Boston, Massachusetts, December 28–31; Dallas, Texas, December 29–January 7; and San Jose, California, December 29–January 1.
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