'A Divine Sense of Hope' in Shen Yun, Says South Carolina Audience

With a standing ovation, Shen Yun Performing Arts successfully wrapped up its two performances in South Carolina.

"It was wonderful. I think the first half before the intermission, I particularly enjoyed the colors, the costumes, plus the backdrop ... it was just a feast for the eyes," said Al Stewart, who works for The Boeing Company. "And then the second half, I really liked the drama, the stories they told, it was really captivating."

"I love the show. I especially like the music. I like how ... they combined kind of the Western type of music with the Chinese music. It's just beautiful, the orchestra is wonderful. The whole show, I think it is just very elegant," said Kevin Klemm, the owner of Paragon Commercial Properties.

"I liked everything about it. I like the association between heaven and earth, the unity of everything—the unity of movement, the ability of spirituality, the ability of individuals to communicate, and the importance of the whole, and the complete unity of individuals," said Charles Kaiser, who is a professor emeritus at the College of Charleston.

Kaiser has an interest in eastern psychology. After seeing the show, he says he understood a deeper meaning within the performance.

"I liked the interpretation that's associated with these different dance forms," he said. "People are alike in many different ways. They may come from different societies and so on, but they're alike in many different ways. They want peace, they want tranquility, they want unification with nature, and they want to grow spiritually and intellectually and physically. And this show demonstrates that."

Others praised the show for giving them hope in uncertain times.

"I appreciate what this showed about how there's more to life than just what you can see. And so people have faith and hope, and it really brings enrichment to people's lives," said Stewart.

"I love the messages and the history and the culture," said Martha Tumblin, who is an affiliate assistant professor. "And there's a divine sense of hope that comes from the message and in each of the performances, and the colors were just exquisite."

For Tumblin, attending the performance was a special treat—after she received her tickets as a birthday surprise.

"I felt a divine sense of hope in each performance, and each segment touched me deeply. I had read the program before we went in—we got here early tonight—and I read the program and just the cultural history and the presence of the divine throughout that, and the need to reclaim that. So, I love that," she added.

Her husband, Bruce White, felt the same.

"I would echo that it was very uplifting, and with all of the darkness we see on TV every day, and with the last several years, two years with COVID and all the challenges, it was really nice to be in an uplifting environment ... see something very beautiful and traditional. And it was very moving, too, like Martha said. It was very, very uplifting," he said.

"I wish I would have learned a lot about this [Shen Yun] a lot earlier," said Kaiser. "And the society gains tremendously from that [Shen Yun]. I wish a lot of people could see things like this."

Next on Shen Yun's tour schedule, the performing arts company will take to the stage in San Jose, California, from Dec. 22 to 27.

NTD News, Charleston, South Carolina