(Minghui.org) After Shen Yun launched its new season in Japan, the performing arts company began its Europe and North America tours with performances in Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States during the last week of December 2023.

Shen Yun North America Company presented 10 performances at Houston’s Jones Hall for the Performing Arts December 26–January 1, all to full theaters. Seats with partially obstructed views of the backdrop were opened up for some performances to meet the demand. (The Epoch Times)

Top photo: Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas
Bottom photo: Shen Yun North America Company’s curtain call at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts on the afternoon of December 31

Congresswoman Presents Certificate of Congressional Recognition in Person

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee presented a Certificate of Congressional Recognition to the performing arts company in person on December 30, 2023. She said, “This is a vital introduction to China, to tell China’s story, so that Houstonians, but also across America, we can know the story of China.”

Texas State Representative: “We’ll Be Back Next Year”

Texas State Rep. Steve Toth and his wife Babette attended Shen Yun’s evening show at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston on December 29.

It was the couple’s first time seeing Shen Yun. “We’ll be back next year,” Rep. Toth exclaimed. “I just loved all of it. It showed the beauty of China and what Marxism had tried to destroy. [Shen Yun] is keeping it alive, which is beautiful.”

Mrs. Toth thought the show’s presentation was creative. “It was really amazing coordination between the dancers, the musicians, and the screen. The technology is really precise and right on cue. It was wonderful,” she said.

The couple thought one of the most special and moving moments in the show was Shen Yun’s story-dance piece depicting the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong—a peaceful meditation practice of the Buddhist tradition.

“[Shen Yun] has a lot of hope. They’re not giving in. They’re still searching and not squelching that spirit,” Mrs. Toth said.

Referring to the company’s effort to raise awareness about human rights issues in modern-day China, Rep. Toth said it was “very powerful” and proof that “communism cannot kill beauty.”

Texas State Representative Steve Toth and his wife Babette at Shen Yun’s evening performance in Houston on December 29 (The Epoch Times)

Shen Yun Has Become a Major Artistic Event in Italy

This season, Shen Yun is scheduled to perform at least 29 performances in six Italian cities. According to the local presenter, the tickets have been selling fast since the sale began. Before Shen Yun arrived, the tickets for Parma and Udine were already sold out, and Torino and Milan’s weekend performances were nearly sold out. To meet the demand, the local presenter has added performances in Torino, Milan, and Parma, and the tickets have been selling quickly.

Shen Yun Global Company at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, Italy, on December 27. The company presented five performances in Florence December 27–31, all to full houses. (The Epoch Times)

“I Was Deeply Captivated by It” 

Donato Pisanelli operates his own construction business in Zürich, Switzerland. He comes from a noble family in southern Italy. He saw Shen Yun in Florence on the afternoon of December 31.

“I actually don’t go to the theater a lot, but my friend knows what I like and strongly recommended that I come see Shen Yun. Sure enough, I was deeply captivated by it the first time I saw it,” Mr. Pisanelli said.

“The program was rich. Every piece was excellent. All the stories were very interesting… The costumes were very exquisite, and the stage design was also very beautiful.

“The orchestra performed live and was in sync. Everything proceeded in sync, so spectacular. I think this (dance and orchestra) really stunned me. Unforgettable,” he said.

Donato Pisanelli at the Shen Yun performance in Florence on December 31 (The Epoch Times)

“They’re All Incredible Professionals”

Gianluca Piola, the sporting director of a century-old soccer club, and his wife Vivian Bertini saw Shen Yun in Florence on the evening of December 30.

Mr. Piola called the experience “a cultural journey.” “For those who have not come to see the performance, they missed a wonderful experience,” he said.

“They’re all incredible professionals… So I’m really grateful to all the artists, whether they’re musicians or dancers. Thank you so much!” he said.

Gianluca Piola, the sporting director of a century-old soccer club, and wife Vivian Bertini at the Shen Yun performance in Florence on the evening of December 30 (The Epoch Times)

“Directly Reaches the Soul”

Matteo Cozza, the president of fashion brand TRANSIT, and his wife Lara Piccolo, the owner of an organic winery, saw Shen Yun in Florence on the evening of December 28. They drove three hours from Vicenza in northeastern Italy to Florence to attend the performance.

“This type of colors, music, and atmosphere was truly so beautiful,” Mr. Cozza said.

“This kind of rigor, tradition, grace, and professionalism – truly, I’d like to salute them!” he said.

Ms. Piccolo said, “She (Shen Yun) had a kind of extraordinary power that directly reaches the soul. It can evoke strong emotional resonance in your heart… That’s a kind of multi-level resonance that goes straight to the soul.”

Matteo Cozza, the president of fashion brand TRANSIT, and his wife Lara Piccolo, the owner of an organic winery, at the Shen Yun performance in Florence on the evening of December 28 (The Epoch Times)

“I’m Stunned”

Marinela Ardelean, global wine & spirits expert, traveled from Venice to see Shen Yun in Florence on the afternoon of December 31.

“I’m stunned… The performance was not only excellent, but delivered a message. This message can be accepted by different cultures around the world. This is a way of presenting oneself, and also a way for different cultures in the globe to harmonize better. For many other countries including Italy, this might be an example to follow,” Ms. Ardelean said.

“Please keep on doing what you’re doing, and at the same time bring it to those countries in which (Shen Yun) hasn’t performed,” she said.

Marinela Ardelean, global wine & spirits expert, at the Shen Yun performance in Florence on the afternoon of December 31 (NTD Television)

Shen Yun New Era Company Begins U.K. Tour 

Shen Yun New Era Company arrived at the Heathrow Airport in London on December 28. The artists were welcomed by local fans with cheers, banners, and flowers. (The Epoch Times)

“Every single piece in our program, it has a moral to the story, it has meaning to it. And I think that’s incredibly important for us to study this culture and this history, so that we can really become—not only a better performer and dancer—but also a better person, a better you than you were yesterday… I hope that everyone in the U.K. can come and enjoy our show,” said principal dancer Marilyn Yang.

Principal dancer Marilyn Yang (The Epoch Times)

This season, Shen Yun is scheduled to perform 47 shows in ten cities and towns in the U.K., beginning with Birmingham on December 29. The tickets have been selling fast and an additional show was added in Northampton and Milton Keynes.

Shen Yun New Era Company’s curtain call at the ICC Birmingham–Hall 1 in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on the afternoon of December 30. The company presented four performances in Birmingham December 29–31, all to full houses. (The Epoch Times)

Birmingham Audiences: “A Production of the Very Highest Quality”

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath attended Shen Yun’s performance on New Year’s Eve in Birmingham.

“It was a real honor to be here, and I’m really delighted to see such a wonderful production with, of course, a very important message,” Lord Hunt said.

“It does really bring home the quality of Chinese culture as it was practiced.

“I think we saw a production of the very highest quality. I just couldn’t praise it enough. It was simply brilliant. So it was a real privilege to be here. And I’m very, very grateful. Thank you,” he said.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath at Shen Yun’s performance in Birmingham on December 31 (NTD Television)

Angela Pryer-Raybould, an international examiner for the National Association of Teachers of Dancing (NATD) and an international championship adjudicator and lecturer, saw Shen Yun in Birmingham on the afternoon of December 30.

“It’s extremely emotive, real, and honest,” Ms. Pryer-Raybould said.

“I was enthralled…and I felt the whole experience breathtaking because of its truth, because each member of the cast had nothing to hide. So it came with the love of their art form,” she said.

Angela Pryer-Raybould, an international examiner for the National Association of Teachers of Dancing (NATD) and an international championship adjudicator and lecturer, at Shen Yun’s performance in Birmingham on the afternoon of December 30 (NTD Television)

Shen Yun Launches U.S. Tour

Shen Yun Touring Company at the Boch Centre Wang Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 28. The company presented five performances in Boston December 28–31. (The Epoch Times)