AUSTIN, Texas—”It evokes a great deal of feeling and emotion for me and all of my family,” said Will Webber, principal of Negley Elementary, after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Mr. Webber attended the performance at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, April 13 with his wife Minday and daughter. For the Webbers, seeing Shen Yun was a fateful encounter.
“This is just magnificent, it is so beautiful, and I mean it is moving,” Mrs. Webber said. She explained that while on in trip in New York City, they learned about the persecution of the spiritual practice Falun Dafa in China.
New York-based Shen Yun tells an array of stories, showing traditional Chinese values and principles from classic novels to modern day events. Mrs. Webber said she saw the persecution of the spiritual belief in the finale of the performance, and “it was meaningful for us to kind of see a follow-up about that.”
Shen Yun was established in 2006 with the mission of reviving traditional Chinese culture, at the core of which is the belief that the culture is divinely inspired. Thus, every piece in Shen Yun has a touch of the divine, many audience members find. However, these principles are the exact opposite of the Chinese Communist Party’s atheist ideals, and many groups have been persecuted over the course of its regime.
‘I Am So Impressed’
“It’s very wonderful to leave with a sense of peace after watching [Shen Yun],” said Ms. Beverly Leonard, who attended the performance with her friends, other nurses who work for Dr. Barry Morguelan and the Morguelan Energy Institute.
“[Shen Yun] starts to bridge the gap for us, of world peace,” Ms. Leonard said. “I think it brings us closer together, yes I do.”
Ms. Judy Morris, who attended the performance with Ms. Leonard, agreed and felt fortunate to be able to see Shen Yun.
“I am so impressed with how even in spite of not being able to practice and do what’s real for you guys in your country you find ways of coming around,” Ms. Morris said of the performers. “I’m so impressed with it, and you continue to do it, continue to do it.”
“And now the rest of us get to be engaged in the culture of the longest living civilization on the planet and I just really respect and honor you for that and I really appreciate it,” Ms. Morris said.
Reporting by NTD Television, SOH Radio Network, and Catherine Yang
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
