SAN FRANCISCO—Bill Fetzer and his wife Valeria, owners of the home inspection company Inspection Connection, Inc. in Napa, Calif., were touched and inspired by the Saturday afternoon performance of New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Fetzers relocated from Iowa to Napa 11 years ago to pursue spiritual goals, and they enjoyed the spirituality and traditional Chinese culture portrayed by the dancers in Shen Yun. After seeing the performance at San Francisco’s SHN Orpheum Theatre, Mr. Fetzer called Shen Yun “a wonderful work of art.”
“You know, everyone comes from heaven and all the heavenly beings are always there to help us,” Mr. Fetzer said. “And everyone is heavenly but they have to remind themselves and be reminded. Something like this helps us remember our divine nature.”
“That’s why we’re alive,” he added. “Without that we’re dead. We’re just robots.”
“I didn’t know about the Chinese culture very much,” said his wife. “And that part of it was very, very sweet, very inspiring.”
“I learned that there was a deep spiritual tradition, which resonates with us, and that it’s oppressed in China now. That wasn’t nice to hear. I thought that anyone anywhere could practice this spiritual technique if they chose,” Mr. Fetzer said, commenting on the dance piece that depicted the persecution of the spiritual practice Falun Dafa in China.
“We are just rather insulated here in the West. We have the freedom to follow our own spiritual beliefs … So we think that everyone should have that same respect.”
They were impressed by the music of the orchestra and the harmony of the dancers.
“The music was beautiful. The opening made me cry,” said his wife. “It just touched me.”
“There was a dedication to something more sublime than just a performance,” said Mr. Fetzer. “They were really coming from their heart. And that’s something that my wife and I can really relate to.”
“The choreography was just outstanding,” he added. “Outstanding.”
Reporting by Chiawei Lin and Sally Appert
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company is performing in San Francisco, at the SHN Orpheum Theatre, March 20-24. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
