SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Professor Brings Students to an Eye-Opening Shen Yun Experience

Apr 16, 2026

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

PHILADELPHIA—Mark Thomas, a professor, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 15, 2026, at Miller Theater.

“Shen Yun is wonderful. It’s splendid. It’s magnificent. The performance is magical, to say the least. I’m inspired with the stories in educating on the culture, educating on the history. I’m very glad I brought my students to the show tonight,” Mr. Thomas said.

“I brought them here tonight to learn about the history of China prior to communism, and the richness of the culture,” he added.

He shared that his students had misunderstandings of Shen Yun. Bringing his students to see Shen Yun was an eye-opening experience.

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.

Mr. Thomas feels that Shen Yun is educational.

“[Shen Yun] is teaching about three things—the role of Confucianism, the nature of Chinese music and dance, the nature of Taoism, and then a little bit of the Falun Dafa philosophy. And then, of course, the persecution,” Mr. Thomas said.

Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance to tell stories from China’s five millennia. Its dance stories also portray the modern true story of Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted for their faith in China. Falun Dafa is a peaceful practice that teaches the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.

“I did notice the organ harvesting in the first act, so it’s very good. One of the people here is going to Washington for the summer. Hopefully she'll carry that message with her to Capitol Hill when she’s up there about the persecution of Falun Dafa,” Mr. Thomas said.

He shared that the dance story depicting the persecution was part of the reason why Mr. Thomas brought his students to experience Shen Yun.

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.

“The most amazing thing is the scenery. I noticed how my students shuddered and gasped when the performers disappeared into the scenery. So it’s always a wonderful experience for them. I like watching how they react,” Mr. Thomas said.

As a professor, Mr. Thomas teaches “Plato and Aristotle and their importance in Western philosophy.” He also saw parallels between Chinese and Western culture.

“Shen Yun has a message for everybody. If you listen deeply enough, it has a message for everybody. If you open your heart, your mind, you can learn something important. We talk about learning across cultures. We have to talk about putting aside some of the myths or the disinformation that goes on,” Mr. Thomas said.

Reporting by NTD 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.