PROVIDENCE, R.I.—When Shen Yun Performing Arts' presentation of China’s ancient culture came to Providence, parents took their adopted Chinese children to experience a part of their heritage they might otherwise not see.

Christine Rugg and her daughter Xiao Yen were in the matinee audience at The Providence Performing Arts Center on Sunday, June 27.

“We just saw fliers all over the place and we wanted to keep the culture going with her,” Mrs. Rugg said, referring to four-year-old Xiao Yen. “We heard some things from friends so decided to come and check it out.”

New York-based Shen Yun brings ancient China’s divinely-inspired heritage into the 21st century portrayed by gorgeously costumed dancers, vocalists and musicians. The dancers are choreographed to match digital animated backdrops interacting with a live orchestra playing traditional Eastern and classical Western instruments.

Xiao Yen and her mother loved the costumes.

“Just beautiful, you can hear the costumes, you can hear the rustling of the silk-and the music is absolutely beautiful … with the drums. And the costumes are amazing,” Ms. Rugg reiterated.

She didn’t hesitate to say she would recommend the show to her friends and giggled with delight when Xiao Yun summed up her experience in one word, “Fantastic!”
'Very dazzling'

Also in the audience were Donna English and her daughter Emilienne.

“It’s very exciting and the dancers are very good,” the young girl said.

Ms. English agreed. “Beautiful, absolutely elegant and beautiful. The choreography is so good. I’ve seen other shows and they might be a little off. This is so in sync, and it’s so bright. It’s just beautiful, just beautiful.”

“It’s wonderful,” Emilienne said. “Very dazzling.”

Ms. English adopted Emilienne seven years ago from Hunan Province. She used to take ballet lessons, but now she is a swimmer, her mother said.

“She’s a very, very good swimmer. And she takes Chinese classes at Bryant University. She’s learning Chinese because she was two-and-a-half when she came here and doesn’t really remember that much, so she’s learning Chinese writing and speaking.

"I like to keep her Chinese culture and she loves dancing, and I just knew it would be a really nice show for her to see. We try to keep her in the Chinese culture as much as we can.

'The staging is beautiful'

Dan and Eileen Morrissey were glad they were at the show among the enthusiastic audience.

“I think the show is giving us a lot of insight into the Chinese history and the way they have been persecuted,” Ms. Morrissey said of two dances, Nothing Can Block the Divine Path and Astounding Courage.

Her husband added, “I see many young Asian children here, especially adopted children. So it’s nice that American parents are bringing them here to learn about the culture.”

Ms. Morrissey said, “It’s wonderful that things are in both languages, too. That makes you appreciate why children need to learn another language, because it’s not only one language. And the staging is beautiful.

“It’s wonderful, the background. When the Great Wall came up, I never got to China but I can see the great wall now. It’s beautiful, it really is very nice. I’m very, very happy we took the chance and came.”

With reporting by Steve Gigliotti and Jenny Sun.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

Original article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38424/