SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Chinese Culture in Shen Yun Eye Opening to State Judge and Wife

Apr 16, 2026

4/16/2026Updated: 4/16/2026

ALBANY, N.Y.—James McClymonds, a judge for the state, and his wife, Susan McClymonds, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 15, 2026, at Proctors.

“It’s great to learn about the culture. We just got back from a trip to Asia. We went to Thailand and Bali and explored the dance and the culture there, and it’s so fascinating to compare what they’re doing with what other people are doing with their cultural dance and interpretation. It’s wonderful,” Ms. McClymonds said.

Shen Yun, based in New York, is on a mission to present “China before communism” and to revive people’s connection to 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture.

“I knew China is so ancient, and has such wonderful culture that has been not talked about for a while, not celebrated. I think today was a really good eye opener,” Ms. McClymonds said.

Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“Dancing is like a universal language. It’s like math—you don’t need to speak a certain language to understand it. Music, dance, art. It’s universal, so anyone could understand this, and it was great. The storytelling behind this was wonderful,” Ms. McClymonds said.

Founded in New York in 2006, Shen Yun was established by elite artists who fled persecution by the Chinese Communist Party.

“I guess that’s one of the promises or the ideals of America. People came here so that they could live the lives that they want. Worship the gods that they want to worship. I think that’s sort of a fundamental aspect of our culture. And it’s great that people can continue to come here and thrive,” Mr. McClymonds said.

Although Shen Yun is sharing the beauty of Chinese culture with the world, Shen Yun is unable to perform in China.

“I think they’re resilient. I think they’re joyously expressing their culture in a way that they couldn’t maybe in other countries, like their own. And I applaud them for being brave and expressing themselves joyously, celebrating their culture, which is so important. You can never lose sight of your culture because then you’re nothing—you don’t have anything,” Ms. McClymonds said.

Shen Yun’s use of its digital backdrop is patented. The technology’s versatility allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.

“It was awesome. It was so well choreographed—the CGI background with the people jumping in and out,” Ms. McClymonds said.

Reporting by Jeanette Si and Maria Han.

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