Shen Yun Performing Arts toured Montreal, Canada, from April 17 to 21, taking theatergoers on a journey through 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.
“The performance was exquisite and dreamlike. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, always looking forward to what the next show would be,” said Jacques Dussault, vice president of sales for a transportation company.
“The music is flowing, flawless. Everything is beautiful. The musicians seem to have been practicing together for 150 years. The harmony is superb, it’s super beautiful.”
Christina Sciortino, an actress, was also among the audience.
“There is so much culture and beauty in this world, and it’s shown through these artists in the form of dance,” she said.
“They are like a link between heaven, earth, and the divine. And I think that is really well-represented. It’s beautiful. It’s spectacular.”
Tami Zaranski, director of finance and administration for a social service organization, said “it’s just spectacular.“
“Anybody that has any interest at all in theater, definitely needs to put it on their list,” she said, adding that “we were really fortunate to get tickets.”
Traditional Chinese culture begins with a belief in spirituality and the divine. Shen Yun presents those themes through the medium of classical Chinese dance, music, and stories.
Annick Wishnowsky, an education consultant, said this was the first time she had heard about China’s divinely inspired culture.
“It leads me to better understand Chinese culture, to see how, ultimately, their grandiose ideas, where it comes from,” she said, adding, “Makes me want to think about and explore traditional Chinese culture.”
For Stefan Leblanc, an attorney, “The divine aspect itself brought into the show was fantastic.”
“The belief, the spirituality, the contrast with today, [where it] seems to be neglected, which we put into perspective in the show—it’s interesting and it reminds us to believe in something greater than ourselves. And it’s a beautiful dimension to put into perspective today.”
Guy Caumartin, a former film and literature critic, echoed that sentiment.
“It’s good to see that,” he said. “It sets the tone for the honesty of the story. Atheism is not good, and I think in these stories, they represent the good side of divinity, which people probably today, in 2024, have forgotten a lot.”
Isabel Igreja, a psychologist, noted that “whether we have the same spirituality or not, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. And I think spirituality can help [people to] have hope.”
“And hope is very important to well-being,” she added.
Shen Yun will next perform at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum in Tennessee on April 27 and 28.
Reporting by NTD News, Montreal, Canada
