New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts recently performed in St. Petersburg, Florida at the Progress Energy Center.
Mayor Jimmy Johnson, from the nearby city of Seminole, called it a great performance.
[Jimmy Johnson, Seminole Mayor]:
"The training that I could recognize from the actors. It was absolutely fabulous to see how well they could move. How coordinated they are, and how colorful it is. And the energy level. The energy level was so high I don't know how you could get any higher than that. It's quite a great performance."
Seminole Councilman Thomas Barnhorn commented on the different cultural and artistic aspects.
[Thomas Barnhorn, Seminole Councilman]:
"You had what 5,000 years of culture right here and it was going through the beauty of it—from the mountaintops from the religious aspect and the undertones there. And one of the things that kind of amazed me about this show as we went through is, you not only have the colors, the dances—dances that were similar to other cultures but different in their own—but at the same time you also had beautiful music to go with it."
They also spoke out about the show cancellations in Hong Kong, where Shen Yun crewmembers’ visas were denied.
[Jimmy Johnson, Seminole Mayor]:
"It's unfortunate that they turned you down. And hopefully they will reconsider and look at the intrinsic values that is in this act so. My hope is that they will come through and let the visa come through also."
[Thomas Barnhorn, Seminole Councilman]:
"I think that's terrible because this is the culture of the people of the country. And to say that they are not allowed to come in to their own country to show the art is wrong."
Shen Yun hopes to return to Hong Kong in the near future.
NTD News, St. Petersburg, Florida.
