LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—In an orchestra seat near the front of Robinson Hall, a slightly-built African American man leaped to his feat to applaud tenor Tian Ge. He survived a severe illness as a child, earned his college degree in his teens, then earned a doctorate in a potentially very demanding area of science. Despite many job offers, his first career move was to teach children. Later, he started a foundation, and started a company which does a lot of business with China. He has won scholarships for his intellect and awards for his humanitarian work.

He came to Shen Yun with his sister, who is an educator. He said his name was Hemphill. “Dr. Hemphill!” interjected Ms. Hemphill.

The affection between the two was palpable. He downplayed his achievements and she laughingly bragged about him.

His company and his scientific work leads him to interact with Chinese people a lot, which partly sparked his interest in the performance, he said. He saw an expression of universal empathy in the show. “What people don’t realize is that we’re more alike than we are different. When you see the news and stuff like that, you will believe that, oh, everybody is totally different. But what you see is a lot of commonality. People fall in love, they have problems with liquor. People have the same problems.”

He wondered about the potential for repercussions for the artists, “One of the things I saw that was interesting, the commentary upon the Communist China. Did you see?”

Ms. Hemphill said, “Because I was glad she [the host] clarified that. I’m a history teacher, and I was thinking, there is no way they are going home to China after all that (the two dances that describe the persecution of Falun Dafa, Nothing Can Block the Divine Path and Astounding Conviction). She said she was relieved to know that the artists are based in New York.

She wants very much to bring her students to the show. “How many kids could fit in this theater?”

Mr. Hemphill returned to his theme of empathy, of universal humanity.

He talked about his experiences with Chinese people, “I’ve been welcomed very well. [They] believe when you get into yourself you get into a shell. What I mean is, if we open ourselves up to other people, we open ourselves up to opportunities that we have yet to imagine." When he started his company he found he was able to work with people abroad in a more open way than with some people he has known for years in Arkansas.

“One of the things that happens in terms of natural struggle and natural disasters, when you get a chance to see something like this, when you get a chance to meet somebody, it puts a face ... When you have a face you have a deeper understanding.”

Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will travel next to Hong Kong to perform from Jan. 27-31.

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

Original article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/28362/