‘It Is Refreshing’: Montana Audience After Shen Yun

Shen Yun returned to the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings, Montana, on Oct. 13–14.

Gov. Greg Gianforte sent a proclamation welcoming the performers back, stating, “I appreciate Shen Yun bringing traditional Chinese culture which cannot be seen anywhere else in the world, not even in China, to Montana.”

One ranch owner attended a performance with her two daughters.

“Oh, we loved it. We did. My daughter's been wanting to come a long time so we just made a way to make it happen," said Regina Ramirez.

"We had a bunch of snow last night. But we plowed out and got here anyway," she added. "It was wonderful.”

Ramirez's daughter said, “Seeing it all come together and all the colors and the lights and the dancers and the live orchestra, and also the feeling of the dancers as they danced on stage, you can feel their steps so it vibrated through the whole room. And that all coming together made for an astounding experience.”

A school district superintendent was in awe of Shen Yun's innovative 3D projection. “It’s amazing how they’ve associated the media and the backdrops and they jump off and it looks like they’re ascending into the sky and into space and into heaven and a variety of backdrops,” said Dave Kerby.

Shen Yun’s animated 3D projection helps with storytelling to showcase 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, much of which the Chinese Communist Party has destroyed.

Kaitlin Murdy said that, as a ballet dancer herself, she felt inspired by the artistic skills of the dance.

“By removing that traditional nature, it removes a part of ourselves. In a way, it removes some of our soul. You could see it in the dance, who had that faith and who were inspired by those traditional manners, and their dance was so much more exuberant and beautiful and long and languid, compared to—and it was so well expressed through the movements compared to those who were devolved into the modern form,” she said.

There were pieces depicting people who are being persecuted for their beliefs under the Chinese communist regime.

One audience member who grew up under the Soviet Union in Lithuania said she understands what it’s like.

“It’s something that needs to be told," said Akvilina Rieger, a marketing executive. "And sometimes you need to use different mediums to get through to people.”

“Compassion, and you know, love and just the trials and errors of life, we go through it all. And it's just amazing to watch history actually unfold. We see that here. too. ... I love it, was great,” said Regina Ramirez.

NTD News, Billings, Montana