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NEW ORLEANS—Bernadette Coles came to see Shen Yun Performing Arts with a trained eye. She was a visual arts major at Loyola University. The school’s well-known fine arts department is designed “to enable students to develop and refine their modes of perception while expressing themselves in a variety of ways,” according to the university.
Ms. Coles wore a sparkling pale blue evening dress with a black lace wrap to Shen Yun’s first ever performance in New Orleans at the newly restored Saenger Theatre. Built in 1927, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building had a multimillion-dollar renovation after being flooded to the stage by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“Loved it, it was beautiful,” said Ms. Cole, who received the tickets as a Valentine’s Day gift from her fiancé, “which made it all extra special.”
As an artist, she responded to the visual parts of Shen Yun: “The colors were just amazing, so vibrant—the colors, the music, and the movement.”
She also took note of the inner meaning of some of the story-dances. “They had some really poignant, touching parts about their faith,” referring to the programs that depicted modern China, and the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of the peaceful spiritual practice Falun Gong. In the piece Buddha’s Compassion Shines Forth, “Chaos is quelled and peace prevails, as kindhearted people’s goodness is rewarded,” according to the program.
Ms. Coles concluded with admiration of Shen Yun artists’ skill: “The timing was impeccable,” she said. “They would not have been able to pull it off so perfectly if they did not have such precise timing.”
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
