SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘Shen Yun Is Very Sacred,’ Says Chinese Audience Member

Jan 18, 2023

BERKELEY, Calif.—To the Western audience, Shen Yun Performing Arts is an opportunity to learn about Chinese culture. Yet to Chinese audience members, it’s a reminder of their roots and a way to reconnect with their cultural history. Mr. Liu, who came from mainland China, watched Shen Yun for the first time on Jan. 16 at the Zellerbach Hall

“I’ve always wanted to see Shen Yun,” said Mr. Liu. “I know that it (Shen Yun) is reviving traditional Chinese culture. It’s very rare to see dance like this. I can tell the performers put a lot of effort into the choreography.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists, and quickly became the world’s leading classical Chinese dance and music company. Over the years, Shen Yun has grown from one to eight equally-sized companies that tour the world simultaneously.

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture, which was lost when the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949. Mr. Liu thought it was very important for Shen Yun to be sharing traditional Chinese culture, because “if no one did this, our next generation will forget this precious culture that our ancestors left for us.”

“I think everyone who comes to watch Shen Yun should come prepared for a sacred cultural baptism. In my heart, Shen Yun is very sacred.

— Mr. Liu

“I think, for Chinese people, watching Shen Yun should be something very sacred,” said Mr. Liu. “I think everyone who comes to watch Shen Yun should come prepared for a sacred cultural baptism. In my heart, Shen Yun is very sacred.”

During the performance, the audience is informed by the emcees that Shen Yun cannot be seen in China. Mr. Liu expressed his wish for Shen Yun to perform in China as soon as possible, “so that the next generation can learn about traditional Chinese culture and art.”

“The thing about art is that if nobody passes it on, it will be forgotten.”

Shen Yun’s program is made up of a number of dance vignettes, some of which are story-based dances. Mr. Liu noticed that Shen Yun’s choreographers paid close attention to portraying cultural details, such as the execution of traditional Chinese etiquette.

“How we will pass these etiquettes on to our next generation is something I’m concerned about,” said Mr. Liu. “But after seeing Shen Yun today, I can see that they are doing a great job.”

Mr. Liu said that he would definitely recommend Shen Yun to his friends and family.

‘Shen Yun Is Using the Beauty of Art to Spread Important Messages’

Also in the audience were Janet Song, who recently immigrated to the United States from China, her two young children. Ms. Song shared that a friend had recommended Shen Yun to her.

“It was excellent,” said Ms. Song. “I thought the quality of the dancing was excellent. All the performers were extremely skilled. The colors on the stage were very beautiful. The orchestra was live too, which calls for very high standards.”

One of the story-dances depicts the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of followers of Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Ms. Song thought Shen Yun’s portrayal of what was happening in China was very well done.

“Shen Yun is using the beauty of art to spread important messages,” she said.

Ms. Song said the reason she brought her children to see the performance was so that they could learn about Chinese culture.

Ms. Song said that the revival of traditional Chinese culture was very important, because “Chinese culture is our foundation, our roots. We are all nurtured by our culture, and we all share the same cultural roots.”

Reporting by Sunny Chen, Jack He, and Wandi Zhu.

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