Company President Moved by Shen Yun Performance

MILWAUKEE—“Magnificent, moving, beautiful,” is how John Shannon described Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company. President and CEO of his company, he and his wife, artist Jan Serr, had just caught Sunday evening’s performance at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, March 13.

Mr. Shannon was amazed by the artistry and spirituality of the world-renowned classical Chinese dance and music company. He said, “It was so well coordinated. The story telling, the dance, the philosophy, was all coordinated so well. I congratulate the company and the creators of the show, and the performers.”

In short, story-based dance pieces, audiences travel from the legends of the culture’s creation over 5,000 years ago to the story of Falun Dafa today, according to the show’s website.

Mr. Shannon was moved by the performance that touched upon the ongoing persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China, who are being denied the right to practice their spiritual beliefs. He appreciated seeing this and called it, “A strong personal message of freedom and tolerance throughout the show. It was very good.”

His wife, professional artist Ms. Jan Serr, agreed and said that she was moved by the performance The Opening of Heaven’s Gates. “It gave the message of courage—the people have to stand up for what they believe in. I think it summed everything up. People need to do what they believe in.”

The couple loved the music from the Shen Yun Orchestra, a unique blend of Eastern and Western instruments, performing original compositions written for the show. Mr. Shannon said, “It was gorgeous! Very nice mix of traditional and Western music. Very successful.”

He added, “We look forward to seeing it again, here or in New York, or wherever we travel.”

Mr. Shannon summed up his response to Shen Yun by saying, “This was wonderful. Very much so.”

With over 20 solo exhibitions and a profusion of paintings and prints in over 40 public collections, including the Milwaukee Art Museum, Jan Serr ranks high among Wisconsin's artists. Her work is in major private, public and corporate collections in the United States and Canada. She has participated three times in the Art in the Embassy program, U.S. State Department. She has gallery representation in Chicago, IL; Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; and Toronto, Ontario.

Reporting by Catherine Wen and Jeanmarie Lunsford.