PHILADELPHIA—Marketing VP Carlos Estela was not expecting Shen Yun Performing Arts to tell stories from China’s expansive history through dance. But it was ultimately this aspect of the performance that impressed him the most.
“It was beautiful,” Estela said. “I very much enjoyed it.”
Estela, who is marketing manager at Citizens Bank, watched the performance at Merriam Theater in Philadelphia on Feb. 27.
Modern Stories
Shen Yun traverses 5,000 years of Chinese history to share stories onstage that represent the essence of a culture steeped in divine inspiration.For millennia, Chinese people have believed in the divine, and ideas stemming from this belief such as striving for moral improvement, living in harmony with Heaven and Earth, and divine retribution.
The performance also includes stories from modern-day China, such as depicting the persecution of people of faith under the Chinese communist regime.
“The story ... was really very moving,” he said.
The piece was about a young Falun Gong practitioner who is imprisoned and tortured for her belief.While the story was very sad, Estela said, it was even sadder when he found out that this repression is currently taking place in China.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual practice that consists of meditation exercises and a set of teachings centered on the principles, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.
Flawless Backdrop
The VP, who was seated close to the stage, appreciated how the 3-D backdrop added another dimension to Shen Yun’s storytelling.“It was pretty ingenious because they gave you the opportunity to really envision where they were at that time,” Estela said.
In this way, the audience knew exactly what time period they were being transported to, he said.
“It’s also flawless,” Estela added.The interaction between the artists and the backdrop, he said, was also very clever.
Asked whether this was a production he'd recommend, the VP said he definitely would tell his friends.“[I'd tell them] they have to come and see and enjoy [it] for more than just what they think it’s going to be,” Estela said.
With reporting by Tony Dang.
