(Minghui.org) As Shen Yun tours Australia, Europe, and the United States, the performing arts company continues to receive welcome and congratulatory remarks from local elected officials. The ones who have had a chance to see the performance have expressed their admiration for the company’s commitment.

Welcome Remarks from Missouri Elected Officials

Prior to Shen Yun’s performance in Springfield, Missouri, on February 11, the performing arts company received welcoming remarks from the governor and mayor of Springfield.

Letter from Mike Kehoe, Governor of Missouri (Minghui.org)

Governor Mike Kehoe of Missouri wrote in his letter, “Tonight’s performance will allow viewers to enter a realm beyond our visible world, opening a portal to a civilization of enchanting beauty and enlightening wisdom.”

Proclamation from Ken McClure, Mayor of Springfield (Minghui.org)

In his proclamation, Mayor Ken McClure of Springfield proclaimed February 11, 2025, “Shen Yun Performing Arts Day.”

Mayor of Lebanon, Ohio, Presents a Proclamation at Performance

Mark Andrew Messer, Mayor of Lebanon, Ohio, presented Shen Yun artists a proclamation at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in Cincinnati on February 15 (The Epoch Times)

Proclamation from Mayor Mark Andrew Messer of Lebanon (The Epoch Times)

The Mayor said after seeing the performance, “It’s an honor that they’re able to share that vision with people of southwest Ohio. It was an honor to be here to support them.”

Welcome from Puerto Rican Legislator

Shen Yun presented five performances in San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 7–10. Prior to the last performance on February 10, members of the Shen Yun New World Company were invited by Eddie Charbonier Chinea, Member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, on a tour of the Capitol building.

Eddie Charbonier Chinea (fifth from left), Member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, invited members of the Shen Yun New World Company to tour the Capitol building and presented them with a special recognition on February 10. (The Epoch Times)

Special recognition from Rep. Eddie Charbonier Chinea (The Epoch Times)

Rep. Eddie Charbonier Chinea said after seeing the performance with his family in San Juan on February 7, “It’s really very beautiful—I mean it. Everything. The music, the choreography, everything. Very beautiful.”

“I Sincerely Praise Them!”

José Gerena Polanco, Mayor of Florida, Puerto Rico, at the Shen Yun performance in San Juan on February 10 (NTD Television)

José Gerena Polanco, Mayor of Florida, Puerto Rico, saw Shen Yun in San Juan on February 10.

“Watching this show was truly a heavenly experience. The dancers’ performance, combined with live music and Chinese instruments, as well as a backdrop, takes you into a different time and space... The program has a positive meaning that relaxes the whole soul,” he said.

“The interaction between the performers and background was precise, and the dance was highly professional. It was really amazing!

“Reviving traditional culture was what we saw in this show. That kind, beautiful, unconditional love. The program conveyed beautiful messages and also showed the performers’ inner cultivation, which is peaceful and relaxed, while positive and energetic at the same time.

“Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are the foundation and essence of life. Congratulations to them! You can see their hard work, willpower, and their love for the show. I sincerely praise them!” he said.

“It Was Absolutely Spectacular”

Member of the Victorian Legislative Council Ann-Marie Hermans at the Shen Yun performance in Melbourne, Australia, on February 14 (NTD Television)

Victorian Legislative Council Member Ann-Marie Hermans saw Shen Yun in Melbourne on February 14.

“It was absolutely spectacular; it was beautiful; it was bold; and it was brilliant,” she said. “I think [Shen Yun has] some of the most incredible dancing and storytelling that I’ve ever seen.

“I think [Shen Yun] brings the beauty of something really special about China, about its culture, its history, its storytelling, its promises.

“It’s just been an amazing experience. It’s so beautiful and, at times, very incredibly emotional,” she added. “It’s telling stories of people, and it’s telling stories of the human spirit.”

“One of the Best Performances I’ve Seen in Many, Many Years”

Blair Barker, City of Whitehorse councillor, at the Shen Yun performance in Melbourne on February 15 (NTD Television)

Blair Barker, councillor for Melbourne’s City of Whitehorse, saw Shen Yun with his wife Emma in Melbourne on February 15.

“When I think about Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance,” Mr. Barker said of the guiding principles of Falun Dafa. “You see that in the celebrating [of values], compassion rewards others throughout the show. So I thought that was really touching.”

“Despite some of the characters being treated poorly,” Mr. Barker said of the stories based on true events in the persecution of Falun Gong in China, “There was a redemption and a forgiveness there. I thought that was really touching.”

“You know, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance—they’re Australian values, too,” Mr. Barker added. “So I think the practicing of that freedom is really important to Australian democracy.”

“My wife and I loved it,” he said. “I thought it was one of the best performances I’ve seen in many, many years. It was high energy; it was interesting.

“I think it’s important for all of us to have a belief in a higher power and that we owe one another, as human beings and whoever our Creator might be, the best service of ourselves.

“I’m a Christian myself, so I have a belief in a higher-order Creator as well.

“Come and see [Shen Yun] because it’s absolutely fantastic,” he said.

“I Wish Them Continued Full Houses”

Michael Gahler, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), at the Shen Yun performance in Frankfurt, Germany, on February 9 (NTD Television)

Michael Gahler, MEP, saw Shen Yun in Frankfurt on February 9. He had seen Shen Yun before.

“Like every year, it was a very diverse and colorful event that represented the full diversity of Chinese and minority cultures. And that’s why it was very impressive. Of course also the special aspect that highlights the political persecution that unfortunately takes place in China, in a dosage that is acceptable to the audience, I would say,” Mr. Gahler said.

He thought that, as in many cultures, the question of where humans come from is seen as divinely inspired and that this aspect was beautifully presented in Shen Yun.

“In many religions [...] there are many basic principles, such as that people should respect each other, that you should tell the truth and not lie, and the whole leniency thing, of course, when people make mistakes,” Mr. Gahler said. “People are imperfect and you should also be able to recognize your mistakes and forgive others.”

Mr. Gahler had a colorful bouquet of good wishes for the artists of Shen Yun: “I wish them continued full houses. I wish them continued ability to express their cultural diversity as was expressed again today... All the best and see you next year.”

“Today Was Very Special”

Michael Boddenberg, a member of the State Parliament in the German state of Hesse, at the Shen Yun performance in Frankfurt on February 8 (NTD Television)

Michael Boddenberg, former Hessian Finance Minister and a member of the State Parliament in the German state of Hesse since 1999, saw Shen Yun in Frankfurt on February 8.

“A great show. Great choreography, incredibly dynamic and enthusiastic, and committed dancers,” he said.

“Great orchestra, great symbiosis between Western and Chinese music and tradition and modernity.

“We are, of course, an international city here and we are happy to welcome international artists. But today was a unique experience. I travel a lot, including in the cultural world. Today was very special,” he said.

He addressed the company directly: “I just want to say, ‘Thank you.’ I have a vague idea of how much work went into it, how much effort and sweat, and how much personal commitment.”

His wish for the new year is “that the world may become a little more peaceful.”

“We are all called upon to do our part. Even if it means just coming here and listening and perhaps going home tonight with the thought that each of us bears responsibility for what is happening in this world. And in that respect, thank you again to all those who made this possible,” Mr. Boddenberg said.

During the past week, Shen Yun’s touring companies performed to full houses in Australia, Europe, and the United States. Top left: Shen Yun New Era Company at a full house at the Palais des Congrès de Tours in Tours, France, on February 12. Bottom left: Shen Yun New World Company at a packed house at the added performance at the CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center in Houston, Texas, on February 15. Top right: Shen Yun North America Company at a packed house at the Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona, on the evening of February 12. Bottom right: Shen Yun International Company at a full house at the Stadthalle Mülheim an der Ruhr – Theatersaal in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, on February 14. (Minghui.org)

For more information about performance times, locations, and tickets, please visit www.shenyun.com.