(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts opened in Calgary on Sunday bringing a message of cultural renewal and revival.

Alderman Ric McIver attended Monday evening's Shen Yun Performing Arts show with his wife Christine.

Alderman Ric McIver and his wife

Mr. McIver had glowing praise for Shen Yun in what he described as "fabulous entertainment." "This is really spectacular. Obviously there's been a lot of work put in here. The performances are outstanding," he said.

He was intrigued by the stories told through dances, particularly a piece called "Monk Ji Gong Abducts the Bride." He linked this story of the wise monk to modern day. He believed that there is an important message for modern humanity embedded in the story's ancient Chinese wisdom.

Mr. McIver shared, "I think we need to listen to one another. In fact there was a real-life example here just a week ago... with the earthquake in Italy. There was one fellow working for the Italian government that predicted that earthquake, and they didn't believe him and they fired him... he could have saved a lot of lives if they had listened to what he said."

He also noted that Shen Yun touches on China's "peaceful and turbulent times in history," and felt that international leaders should "learn to enjoy the peaceful times and work hard to avoid the violent and turbulent times that happen around the world."

"We share our city with people that come here and [they] share their culture with us. It just makes Calgary a better place to live and it makes it a greater city... it makes it easier for us to communicate with and do business with people in other parts of the world, which in turn inspires people to come here and bring their culture. So I think it's a winning combination for Calgary."

Elected to his first term as Alderman for Ward 12 in October 2001, Ric McIver brings to office a long history of community service. In 2004 he was acclaimed to his second term, and re-elected with a 91 percent plurality in 2007. He has a strong background in business, marketing, and distribution, and has owned and operated two companies in Calgary over the past 16 years.

Mrs. McIver was very touched by Shen Yun. She mentioned a piece entitled "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution" in which a young family is torn apart when the father is persecuted for practising Falun Dafa. Ms. McIver referred to the closing scene of the dance during which the father ascends to heaven after being put to death for his belief. "It shows great faith in that there is a heaven, and that everyone--all good people--go to heaven and live on there. I thought that imagery was very beautiful...It was very, very touching."

"It's all incredible. The choreography is just absolutely spectacular. It's really well done. The music is amazing as well -- vocals, the instruments, it all combines to make a wonderful evening, so thank you for your hospitality," Mrs. McIver said.

Mr. and Mrs. Keady, who attended the Monday show, were deeply impressed with Shen Yun's unique cultural appeal. Mrs. Keady, a painter and bookkeeper, was captivated by the "rainbow colors" that are a central part of Shen Yun's costuming and overall aesthetic effect. "The colorful outfits, gorgeous colors, vibrant primary colors, secondary colors--I loved it," she said.

Mr. Keady was awed by "Drummers of the Tang Court," "The drums were amazing, very well synchronized and beautifully performed. It was very professional."

A mechanical engineer, Mr. Keady has over 30 years experience in the oil and gas industry as a chief draftsperson and piping designer. "It's really quite unique compared to most other art forms you see out here. It's distinctly Chinese... It's quite an eye opener for most of the other cultures you see. It's quite unique and most enjoyable. What a surprise."

Mr. Adlington, along with four friends, attended the show. A manager for a prestigious Calgary country club, Mr. Adlington runs a number of restaurants and had high praise for the unique cultural show.

Mr. Adlington, a manager for a prestigious Calgary country club

He enjoyed all the dances, especially "The Udumbara's Bloom" that tells the story of the legendary flower of Buddhist lore that blossoms only once every 3,000 years. Its unfolding is believed to mark the coming of a great sage or enlightened being to the world. The delicate flower has been seen in many countries in recent years. "The color in the background, the grace, and the movement--yes, very nice," said Mr. Adlington.

He was fascinated by musician Mei Xuan who played the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument that resembles the violin. "The [musician] who played the two-string violin I thought was unbelievable. It was just perfect pitch and done really well, and the fast song that she played, it was amazing that she was able to do that on two strings."

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15312/
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