CALGARY, Canada—It “was an incredible performance, truly artistic and, at the same time, very uplifting and enlightening,” said Bernadette Geronazzo after she saw Shen Yun at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on March 10.
Mrs. Geronazzo is the executive director at Fabbrici Foundation, which supports non-profit arts & culture in Canada. The foundation aims to support Canadian artists, ensuring that the arts remain vital in our lives.
Mrs. Geronazzo was profoundly impressed with Shen Yun Performing Art’s mission to revive China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture.
“It’s 5,000 years old, and at the same time, it’s bringing this artistry, this gift of dance, and also conveying very, very important messages of love … compassion … [and] faith,” she said, “all of this I found very interesting.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company. Along with folk dances and solo performances, the production depicts story-based pieces that tell tales from ancient times to the modern day.
One of Shen Yun’s unique features is its orchestra. It’s the first in the world to permanently combine classical Western and Chinese instruments within a Western symphony orchestra.
“I was extremely impressed to know that [they] travel with an entire orchestra,” she said, “this is quite unusual for a dance troupe and very impressive indeed.”
‘Beautiful Sounds’ of the Erhu
Mrs. Geronazzo was amazed by the erhu: a traditional Chinese two-stringed instrument that has been called the “Chinese violin.”
An incredibly expressive instrument, the erhu is capable of conveying a broad range of emotions, even imitating sounds from chirping birds to neighing horses, Shen Yun’s website explains.
“The beautiful sounds that the erhu was able to create … I thought was magnificent,” she said, “so that was beautiful to behold.”
Mrs. Geronazzo said she was also impressed to learn that, alongside the Shen Yun artists’ rigorous training, they meditate together and practice self-discipline and selflessness.
In the past, artists looked to the divine for inspiration and cultivated virtue in order to create uplifting art. Today, Shen Yun’s artists follow in this noble tradition, which is why audiences feel there is something different about Shen Yun, says the company’s website.
“There’s this spiritual aspect of togetherness … knowing that you are part of something that is conveying beauty and skill,” she said, “and at the same time giving important lessons … to the audience, I think is quite wonderful.”
Portrayals of Persecution
Along with myths and legends from ancient times, Shen Yun presents story-based dances portraying the persecution of Falun Dafa, a meditation discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a persecution campaign against the spiritual practice, which is also called Falun Gong, and adherents have since been subjected to unprecedented imprisonment, torture, and abuse.
“I was quite moved with the story depicting modern-day China,” said Mrs. Geronazzo, “how courageous and also wonderful for Shen Yun and to tell it in such an artistic and compassionate way.”
“This message is one that humanity needs to hear,” she added, “because as we enter this time in our history on Earth, the sense of the Divine coming to provide hope, and a sense of renewal, I think, is one that we all need to hold on to.”
“For Shen Yun to deliver this message and to make it very vocal, I think, was a beautiful gesture for all of us.”
Mrs. Geronazzo said she was very grateful for Shen Yun’s dedication and for bringing such a “beautiful art form—one that is unsurpassed in the idea of conveying both emotion and storyline—with music,” to Calgary.
Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Schneider.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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