Governor Chelminska responded very graciously to the show. She said, “Fantastic! I was very emotionally moved by each of the dance performances. I was observing the precise movements, the colourful, beautiful costumes, the smiling faces of the dancers, the focus when it was necessary, and the tremendous hope that runs through each of these dances. That was incredible, that good will always be victorious. I understood it this way.”
Some of the dances and songs convey an explicit message of hope. One is about the traditional Chinese belief that good people are ultimately rewarded. Some are exuberant, joyful representations of Chinese folk traditions, such as the Dance of the Yi and Dragon Springs Drummers.
Ms. Chelminska anticipated more than simple entertainment from the company. She said, “I am very interested in human relations and spirituality, so I read a lot about the Chinese culture and what motivates people to be better. Being together, they want to be very wholeheartedly show their spirituality, belief, hope, and emotions, which was very evident today.”
She had never seen a live performance of classical Chinese dance before. Her children have tickets to the next show, and she plans to tell them: “It’s a spectacular show. You have to see it for yourself, experience it for yourself. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to understand.”
She mused about Poland’s folk music, dance, and costume tradition. Slavonic dance influenced Western classical music, and the region is famous for colorful costumes and soulful, expressive music. Though her countries’ cultural heritage is long and noble, she felt she could not compare it to what she had just seen.
“Our Polish culture is not 5,000 years old. Maybe in 3,000 years, we will also invite you to our dance performance which will have a similar experience,” said Ms. Chelminska.
She had a last thought, about Poland and about China. Both nations have suffered under a communist regime. She said of Poland, “I think we were in a part of Europe, where you could not surrender to the totalitarianism. In our country, the window to the world was always slightly ajar, and there was a larger wind, and then it opened. We have a hope, that in China, democracy will be real, not just something that I wish for with all my heart. Then with this spirituality, emotion, and culture, I think the world will be richer.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
