‘Get Out and See It’: Mayor Finds Shen Yun Both Entertaining and Inspiring

by EditorT

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger and his wife, Diane, at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at FirstOntario Concert Hall in Hamilton on March 22, 2022. (NTD)

HAMILTON, Canada—As Canada moves away from pandemic restrictions, people are happy to leave their homes and experience a fuller enjoyment of life again. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger found both entertainment and inspiration when he and his wife, Diane, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ first of two evening performances at FirstOntario Concert Hall on March 22.

“I find it absolutely brilliant in terms of color and dance. … Everything is beautiful,” Mayor Eisenberger said.

“I think a lot of people are here … happy to take some masking off and relax a little bit and get entertained. Everyone’s been yearning to get some entertainment and get some outdoor activity with other people. And so this is a great opportunity for people to enjoy that.”

He encouraged more people to grasp that opportunity and come out to see Shen Yun.

“Get out and see it. Enjoy the pageantry, enjoy the athleticism. The spiritual message of unity and freedom is a great message to have for sure,” he said, referring both to Shen Yun’s world-class performance of classical Chinese dance and to its mission of reviving China’s true culture with its deep spiritual roots.

“It’s been very inspiring. The Chinese culture has a lot of history, probably not as well-known in Canada as it should be,” the mayor added.

The traditional culture of China, with a history of 5,000 years, is steeped in wisdom enriched by Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist principles. In accordance with those schools of thought, ancient Chinese society enjoyed freedom of speech and emphasized benevolent governance, harmony even in disagreement, and the balance of yin and yang. Thus in reviving this heritage, Shen Yun is also sharing with theatergoers the beauty and wisdom of ancient China prior to communist rule.

“I see a desire for freedom. I see a desire for freedom of expression and desire to love. I think [it] encapsulates a lot of the traditional values that we hold dear here in North America,” Mr. Eisenberger commented.

Through dance, music, and stories from China from ancient times to the modern day, Shen Yun endeavors to share the beauty of traditional Chinese culture and values with audiences around the world. But much of this heritage has sadly been lost and the show itself is not permitted to perform in China.

Nevertheless, the New York-based performing arts company is making its best effort to widely spread the message of positivity and hope.

“We all need an opportunity to make it better. So any kind of an uplifting message—a positive message of how do we get along, and how do we not divide one another and continue to promote togetherness and freedom and unity—is a message that is well needed right now,” said Mayor Eisenberger.

Epoch Times Photo

Shen Yun Performing Arts Global Company’s curtain call at FirstOntario Concert Hall in Hamilton, Ont., on March 22, 2022. (NTD)

Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, a dance form that includes difficult flips and tumbling techniques that are often associated with gymnastics or acrobatics but in fact originated from classical Chinese dance.

“I can’t believe the amount of acrobatics that is involved in the show,” Mrs. Eisenberger said, calling it “stunning!”

She also remarked on the skill of Shen Yun’s dancers in being able to seamlessly interact with the animated backdrop. The innovative system—for which Shen Yun received a U.S. patent in 2016— lets the performers travel back and forth between the stage and digital background, making the storytelling aspect of the dances even more vivid.

“The timing of the dancers … they have to be spot on to be able to do everything in conjunction with the animation in the background. I found that amazing,” said Mrs. Eisenberger.

No matter what story Shen Yun is portraying on stage, vibrant hues and the dancers’ warmth and energy are always present.

“It’s just a good lift in terms of color and dance and energy. It … builds enthusiasm for getting through your day. So it’s a nice way to wind it up,” said Mr. Eisenberger.

“It’s very, very positive.”

Reporting by NTD and Maria Han.

 

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