Shen Yun Shows That ‘Even in Hardship, There Is Beauty,’ Says Company Owner

BILLINGS, Mont.—Company owner Nicolle Laffin and her husband Daniel celebrated their 19^th wedding anniversary by attending Shen Yun’s evening performance on March 4 at the Alberta Bair Theater.

At the conclusion of the evening, the couple agreed excitedly that Shen Yun was very enjoyable and beautiful. It was the pinnacle of their weekend.

“Absolutely stunning! This has been very exciting, and we’re so glad to be here,” Mrs. Laffin said. “I see the strength and beauty in the dances. Also, the [artists’] passion and love for their culture.”

Mr. Laffin added happily, “I really appreciated the context of a higher being and how it touches life. It showed that if you appeal to a higher being, you’re going to be okay.”

“It’s just uplifting and really, really beautiful. It releases you from the daily grind of what you’re dealing with. You don’t see that very often now.”

Through classical Chinese dance and music, New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts is sharing the beauty of China’s 5,000 years of history with the world. Since its founding in 2006, the company has received worldwide accolades.

Although this was the couple’s first time experiencing Chinese culture, Mrs. Laffin found it very easy to identify with the content of the performance.

“We all seem to share a common background—the idea of values and morals and the concept of heaven,” she expressed.

“It’s very interesting from a global aspect. 5,000 years ago, we didn’t have social media, and we weren’t in communication [with each other], but we all shared the same things. [Shen Yun] taped into our environment, our culture, and who we are deep down inside.”

According to its website, Shen Yun is demonstrating the beauty of China before communism. The artists are also committed to raising awareness about the ongoing societal issues in modern-day Chinese society.

“[In China] we’re seeing a lot of suppression in speech and values. I thought there were a lot of parallels between China, the United States, and the issues we’re facing today,” Mrs. Laffin said.

“I think [Shen Yun] is very brave to come out and say this is the way things are. It’s beautiful.”

She added that in our modern world, it’s easy to “get lost in the cities and in the technology.” When that happens, “we start to lose interaction with people.”

For that reason, she was especially inspired by Shen Yun’s Tibetan dance celebrating winter in the snowy Himalayan mountains.

The program showed that “even in hardship, there is beauty. Even when life seems to really get down on you, you can still look and find peace and harmony and value in your family and friends,” she said.

Reporting by Sherry Dong, NTD, and Jennifer Tseng.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.