Audience: Shen Yun an 'Antidote' to Pandemic

The seemingly never-ending pandemic can bring one's spirits down.

But Shen Yun’s audience members say the classical Chinese dance performance brings some much-needed relief.

“It’s so beautiful and so uplifting," said Dan Hare, a retired documentary film director. "It’s kind of a holistic feeling to it. I was so impressed. You’re floating on air when you leave.”

“I am so glad we came here to watch that because, for those two hours, we actually forgot that we're in the pandemic," said Cherie Jaynes, who works at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “And I actually forgot I was wearing a mask because it was so delightful.”

“The show exudes an energy through the music, but also through the skills on stage, which I think helps us fight the virus,” said Bernard Monnot, who saw Shen Yun in Paris, France.

“I feel a difference, I have more energy now. I have more energy, and my heart is more full of joy,” he added.

“I think the show is a good antidote to the pandemic,” said Philio Lancaster, who owns a real estate management company.

"The pandemic makes you turn into yourself and become depressed, and alone, and isolated," he said."A program like this teaches you that you're connected to other people and that you need to think about something beyond yourself, something transcendent."

According to their website, Shen Yun draws inspiration from 5,000 years of Chinese culture—which is known as divinely inspired.

These artists bring those ancient values back to the modern stage, aiming to showcase China before communism.

“[This] brings us a rich spiritual and emotional experience, which is important, especially nowadays,” said Dominique Clavier, a clinical psychologist from Paris.

"They're representing Chinese culture as it should be told in the world, what China is," said John Williams, an adjunct professor at San Diego State University.

“To me, China is not the Chinese Communist Party, ... The essence of China is the people. And I think in the near future, we will see that new China that we've always wanted to see, without the Chinese Communist Party,” he added.

Audience members say they could relate to the traditional Chinese elements even in the West.

“In America, we’re losing a lot of cultures and deep-rooted values. I think it’s a great message to America,” said Hare. “I think it’s a great way to reconnect with our spiritual root. I think it’s a fabulous thing of showing the commonality of humanity and bringing us back to the core root of who we are.”

“We've gone through a lot of negativity in the world that led up to 2020. And I think we need to get back to those qualities that make us human beings,” said Williams.

NTD News, New York