Shen Yun’s Opening Night: ‘Into a Dream’ in St. Paul, Minnesota

Jeremy Sandberg
By Jeremy Sandberg
February 16, 2019Shen Yun
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ST. PAUL, Minn.—At Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minn., Shen Yun’s opening night on Feb. 14, performed to a nearly sold-out audience. With six performances in total from Feb. 14 to 17, an extra performance had to be added to meet popular demand.

“It’s visually dazzling,” said Paul Harstad, Real Estate Developer. “It’s a pretty comprehensive performance in terms of the music, and the visual experience.”

Shen Yun’s live orchestra incorporates ancient Chinese instruments with classical western instruments in a blend where East meets West.

“I think it blends it quite well, and it’s appealing to the western ear,” said Harstad. “A blending of the two cultures and I certainly appreciate that.”

Soheila Rahimi, a neuroscientist and part-time teacher at the University of Minnesota thought very highly of the performance.

“I enjoyed the peace, it was very peaceful,” said Rahimi. “The music was so peaceful.”

Soheila Rahimi, Neuroscientist after watching Shen Yun
Soheila Rahimi, Neuroscientist, after watching Shen Yun Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minn. at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 14, 2019. (Shenghua Sung/NTD)

“I loved the choreography, it was very alive, I loved it,” she said.

“Very colorful, very meaningful, and I think every piece of it explained a different aspect of tradition.”

The revival of China’s traditional culture is Shen Yun’s ambitious mission.

“It covers a lot of different aspects of just China, and I think that was the best way Shen Yun could represent her country,” said Rahimi.

“I like that. Very festive and interesting.”

“If you get to know about different culture,” she said. “We get to be nicer people, closer together and bring more peace all together.”

Into a Dream

“It’s really fun, it’s almost, I guess it’s kinda like a dream almost,” said Kelsey Conant, Vice President of Marketing at City Girl Coffee Company. “It’s reality into a dream, and I’m enjoying it alot.”

“The feeling that you get from watching these dancers, it’s such a warming, wonderful feeling that you get,” she said.

“It makes me smile, I feel excited. I don’t want to look away.”

Enthusiastic Experience

“This is a spectacular experience, and I’m so glad that it’s being shared with our country,” said Conant.

“I think I will come back again next year,” said Rahimi. “I like the enthusiasm. I like the ambition of all those players, they all seem to work with their heart, and they work hard. I think they had a very nice show to display.

“I think it was about the life in general, eternity, heaven and all you know all of that,” said Rahimi.

NTD News, St. Paul, Minnesota

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