SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘Very, Very Entertaining and Original,’ Says Arkansas Theatergoer

Apr 30, 2023

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—On the evening of April 29, Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded its final show at Robinson Performance Hall.

Sitting in the audience were Jason and Jamie Sidor. This was the couple’s first time attending the show, and they loved it. They thought it was both entertaining and very educational.

“It was just absolutely beautiful the way it was choreographed,” Mr. Sidor exclaimed.

“I thought it was very original the way they combined the special effects on the screen with the dancing. I’ve never seen anything like that before. It was just brilliant!”

According to its website, Shen Yun’s innovative digital technology creates seamless interaction between the backdrop projection and the performers on stage.

“By extending the stage to infinite realms,” this patented 3D invention brings to the audience “storytelling without limits.”

Mr. Sidor especially enjoyed Shen Yun’s story dances recounting tales from ancient times to the modern day.

“The costumes were beautiful, and [the stories] reminded me of what I’ve seen in movies, [such as] The Monkey King. It was really, really neat to [be able to] immediately recognize everything that was iconic,” he said.

Shen Yun Performing Arts is now the world’s top classical Chinese dance and music company. Presenting a brand-new set of programs each year, the company has been delighting audiences around the world since 2006.

Before the communist party’s spread of atheism, Chinese people were very spiritual and had a deep belief in the divine. For thousands of years, their values and day-to-day actions were strictly governed by the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.

These New York-based artists are now seeking to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and showcase to the world the beauty of China before communism.

Though Mr. Sidor was not familiar with the spiritual aspects of China, he did know that harmony played a big role in Chinese culture.

He thought Shen Yun’s performance was definitely very harmonious and offered the audience a sense of peace.

Referring to the modern-day story dance depicting the Chinese Communist Party’s brutal persecution of people of faith, Mr. Sidor said it was shocking.

“I was really struck by how [the artists] showed the persecution. I had only heard a little of that beforehand, and when I saw it [in the dance], it’s like, ‘Wow, that really happens on a massive scale,’” he expressed.

“I don’t think a lot of people are aware, and I think this is a really good way to get that message out there.”

Mrs. Sidor, a doctor of acupuncture & Chinese medicine, said that the biggest message she gleaned from the performance was that “Chinese culture is very different from the Chinese Communist Party. Those are two different entities.”

Lastly, Mr. Sidor would like to tell everyone, “If you’re looking for a show that has a very, very entertaining and original way of showing stories combined with wonderful dance and traditions— [Shen Yun] is definitely the thing to see.”

Reporting by Sonia Wu and Jennifer Tseng.

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