On March 13, Shen Yun Performing Arts raised the curtains in front of a fully packed theater in Bremen, Germany. Audience members were fascinated by the artists’ skills and the traditional values presented on stage.

“It was very fascinating. It really touched me. It truly touched my heart, filled my soul, and did me a world of good,” said Suzana Sindjic, a mobility consultant.

“I really, really enjoyed it. I find the synchronicity the dancers displayed simply fantastic. And you can see in their movements how much training and passion went into it. I really loved that,” said Cedric Bender, a Latin Formation Dance World Champion with Grün-Gold-Club Bremen. “The music was truly beautiful, always a lovely accompaniment, and the dances were simply wonderfully choreographed.”

Mr. Bender added that “I thought the presentation was very well done. It told a good story from beginning to end and captured and conveyed the core of the story very well.”

“I was surprised by how multicultural dancing is. The gestures, or even the little moments when you smile at a gesture, are very universal. And that positively surprised me. It was all easy to understand,” said Eva Herzig, a design engineer.

Shen Yun features classical Chinese dance and music to showcase ancient Chinese myths and legends, as well as real historical events. Each piece features specially designed costumes, crafted to match the style of the era portrayed.

Mr. Bender said, “The dancers really moved me. I especially loved the dances where the costumes were incorporated, for example, in the water sleeves dance. It was a very moving piece for me; it really touched me. Because it’s so different from what I know about dance, and the fact that such expression can be created with clothing surprised me and then moved me emotionally.”

“I think it was love. It flowed from the people, from the music and the dance, from the movements, and simply from these sensations, the feelings, the union. I think it was truly like feeling God in these dancers. And that touched me deeply. I even had tears flowing because it was just so beautiful. I truly felt the presence of God, this love, and that touched me deeply,” said Ms. Sindjic.

Chinese culture has a history of more than 5,000 years, and features a strong emphasis on spiritual faith and moral principles. However, it was almost completely lost under the Communist regime, which took over China in 1949. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the authentic culture and values from China before communism.

Ms. Sindjic said, “And that’s very, very important because it gives us primal trust, it gives us hope. And especially because there’s so much going on in the world, including so much negativity, and we hear so much negativity in the press. It’s so important to celebrate these moments where there’s so much love between people. And this connection to the divine, and what they convey through the show, is very important.”

“I think that’s what a society is based on. Even if much of it is no longer familiar. But in a cultural event like this, it all comes to light again. And you’re reminded of it. And I find that very beautiful,” said Ms. Herzig. “It’s an insight into the Chinese concept of history and culture, and also an idea of ​​dance or expressing oneself without words, how the past is carried into the future, how these things are interconnected. They summarized that very nicely.”

“In these stories, virtue was emphasized, and the idea of what you reap is what you sow. So, if you act out of love, you reap out love. It’s simply that simple. If you act out of gratitude, you reap out gratitude,” said Ms. Sindjic. “And this dance aspect, for me, it’s like Divinity expresses itself through us, through these movements, this gentleness, this flow in the women, or in this strength and precision of the men. So, for me, that’s how it is. The Divine expresses itself through us, out into the world. And [Shen Yun] does it so wonderfully, really. I’m a huge fan.”

“Very nice, I personally found the choreography very, very good, very fluid and rhythmic. For me, it was really the costumes that drew me into this world, and I would definitely recommend it to everyone,” said Mr. Bender. “They did an incredibly good job, and I really support them with everything I have, because you can see the work, the effort, and the passion, and I find it simply beautiful. And they should please continue in exactly the same way.”

Ms. Sindjic said, “And because I’m now a fan, I’ve already ordered the [Shen Yun Creations] subscription, which gives me a full year access, so I can watch it every day, because I’ve noticed it really does something to me. My energy is noticeably higher, and I feel very inspired. And I think other people would be able to feel that too.”

Shen Yun will be performing in Lyon, France, from April 6 to 12.

NTD News, Bremen, Germany

NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, covering audience reactions since 2006.