NEW YORK—Among the audience members at Shen Yun Performing Arts’ Friday night show at Lincoln Center was a Greek-American TV director and producer.
“I cannot express in words the wonderful feeling that was resonating through me throughout the performance,” Yanna Darilis said after the sold-out show.
Ms. Darilis, who has produced segments for NBC’s The Today Show and E! Channel and also serves as the president of the Media Paradiso video production company, said the show enlightened her about ancient Chinese culture.
“I was very interested in learning more about the Chinese culture,” she said. “It’s a culture that spans over 5,000 years and it’s wonderful that this … production is representing Chinese culture [as] all cultures are somewhat dying out.”
According to Shen Yun’s website, Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the “authentic and original manifestation of traditional Chinese culture and art.” After more than 60 years of communist rule in China, and especially after the Cultural Revolution, Chinese traditional culture has been all but completely demolished.
“These ancient cultures need to be preserved,” Ms. Darilis said.
She had nothing but good things to say about the production, especially the dance pieces.
“I think the artists are very talented, the dancers are wonderful, the choreographer is amazing.”
A few of Shen Yun’s dance pieces touch on the contemporary topic of the 12-year-long persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual meditation practice in present-day China. For example, one such dance depicts a young man who has to make a choice between attacking or protecting Falun Dafa practitioners in Tiananmen Square.
Ms. Darilis said the show touched her on a personal level because she could relate the persecution of Falun Gong in China to the Greek genocide during and after World War I.
“Coming from a Greek background—I’m Greek—we were persecuted by the Ottoman Empire for many years,” she said. “Many people have been persecuted throughout time.”
Ms. Darilis said she appreciates Shen Yun for raising awareness of persecuted groups worldwide.
“I feel that it’s important today that people are more aware. We have the power to do things in these times,” she said. “We have to help people that are suffering, especially people who are suffering from goodness.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Mimi Li.
New York-based Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform at New York’s Lincoln Center through Jan. 15.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
