On Feb. 13 and 14, Lakeland, Florida welcomed dancers and musicians from Shen Yun Performing Arts. Audience members marveled at Shen Yun’s artistry, after packing the Youkey Theater.
“I love the music, it’s powerful. You can feel it in your chest,” said Kevin Woodcock, who is a co-owner of Turnkey Construction.
“The way the music goes with the actual dance, it was perfection. There wasn’t a millisecond where the dance was not with the actual music,” said Steven Labate, who works in investment compliance at Raymond James.
Shen Yun draws inspiration from China’s 5,000 years of culture and values, which were believed to be inspired by the divine. Theatergoers said they appreciated the depth of that culture and learning about it from before communism.
“Definitely important, people don’t realize that China is hurting their own people. And they tried to destroy it. If you go back even … when the Cultural Revolution first started, what did they do? They tried to destroy culture,” said Garrett Denbleyker, who is a retired CEO from PRIMAGRO Farming.
“The performance is full of emotion. It’s full of folklore and culture of a big, big country through many years. So it was a very unique experience for us to see the Chinese people, the way that they conduct themselves,” said Maria Garces, who is the owner of Allied Transport LLC.
Shen Yun brings an all-new program every season, including new dances, songs, stories, and backdrops.
“They should be really proud of themselves for the performance they put together. And it shows the pride they have in their culture. There’s a lot to be proud of,” said Mr. Labate.
“It’s a great job, we hope that it continues in the whole world. Every time that you can perform in different places, it is a good culture message,” said Ms. Garces.
“I think it’s wonderful, I think we need more of this,” said Jim Hunter, who is a physician.
“It’s just amazing, you have to come and experience it,” said Jackie Woodcock, who is the co-owner of Turnkey Construction.
Shen Yun will next perform in Burlington, Vermont, at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 17 and 18.
NTD News, Lakeland, Florida
