WATERBURY, Conn.—Laurent Mullen, a former ballet dancer who currently owns two ballroom dancing studios, attended the final Shen Yun Performing Arts show at Waterbury’s Palace Theater on Friday night.
Mr. Mullen noted the number of dancers on the stage and was impressed with how they were able to synchronize with one another. So many dancers “moving like that” is no small feat, he said, adding that “they’re beautiful.”
Mr. Mullen is the owner of Ballroom Dancin Fools, a dance studio that gives private lessons in ballroom dance. According to his company’s website, he has also appeared in “stage, TV, film and in print as a professional actor, singer, dancer and model since 1982.”
Shen Yun’s goal is to revive China’s traditional culture, which spans 5,000 years, through dance and the arts, the New York-based company’s website says. The performers use classical Chinese dance to express the cultural aesthetics and nuances of the culture.
“The precision” of the roughly two dozen male and female dancers moving together in unison, while performing difficult dance techniques was amazing, he added. “The athleticism, the youth … the flexibility is amazing,” he said.
As a dancer himself, he explained that “because I know how hard it is,” Shen Yun’s dancers perform at a high level.
In one piece of the show, The Choice, a young policeman refuses the request from his superior to beat Falun Gong practitioners, among which is his old friend. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice based on the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance that is currently outlawed under the Communist regime in China.
In the end, the young man and the Falun Gong practitioners gain assistance from an unexpected source.
Mr. Mullen said he was “very impressed with that” particular piece, adding “that you speak your mind and you’ll find your way.”
Reporting by Mike Chen and Jack Phillips.
Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will next perform at The Merriam Theater, in Philadelphia, through Jan. 8.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts
