SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun on Track to Become ‘8th Wonder of the World’, Says Theatergoer

Jan 26, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ryan Crowder, a business director, was deeply taken by Shen Yun Performing Arts after seeing it for the first time at The Kennedy Center Opera House on Jan. 25

“It was an absolute delight. Very dazzling,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes the eighth wonder of the world.”

“The lyrics, the dance, I couldn’t even imagine how much time they spent building out their show,” Mr. Crowder said.

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, and since 2006 has become a global phenomenon.

Mr. Crowder actually studied Chinese as a minor, and “very deeply immersed myself in the Chinese culture.” But seeing Shen Yun, he said he learned so much about what he hadn’t known about China before. This included a new understanding of China’s 50-some ethnic minority groups, as Shen Yun presents ethnic and folk dances in addition to classical Chinese dance. Mr. Crowder also learned about Falun Gong, a spiritual practice first made public in China in the 1990s, which teaches truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, and which has changed China irrevocably.

“Never knew anything about that before. Seeing the beauty and the culture before the Communist Party really meant a lot to me,“ Mr. Crowder said. ”And learning about the ethnic minority side, that’s something [that] kind of opened up a window in my mind.”

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of China’s divinely inspired civilization, or, as it has come to describe it in recent years, to show audiences “China before communism.”

China Before Communism

Cason Chatham and his family enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Kennedy Center Opera House, on Jan. 25, 2023. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times) — Cason Chatham and his family enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Kennedy Center Opera House, on Jan. 25, 2023. Terri Wu/The Epoch Times

Shen Yun’s mission is to show “China before communism,” which was eye-opening for Mr. Cason Chatham, a pilot, who attended the performance with his family. He said the modern-day scenes that touch on communist China provide a contrast that led to a deeper understanding.

“We enjoyed seeing it presented, and seeing what it actually is like ... it’s presenting what’s actually happening in modern-day China,” he said. “I definitely liked seeing how they tied in the communist effect against the people, and then the renewal at the end with the divine being coming and saving everything.”

“That shows their hope for the future despite the persecution. I think that was really good to see,“ he said. ”It was excellent. It was very intriguing and very interesting to see the history tied into the theatrical performance.”

Dennis Kurre, retired FBI agent, felt he experienced a wonderful trip through history, witnessing the development of China and the culture, and the impact communism had on the 5,000 years of divinely inspired civilization.

It was especially important to show that under the communists, that people lose their freedoms. They lose their ability to speak, to act—to worship as they choose.

— Dennis Kurre

“It was especially important to show that under the communists, that people lose their freedoms. They lose their ability to speak, to act—to worship as they choose,” he said.

Although these real-life events are tragic, Shen Yun adds a touch of hope, with the stories showcasing the courage of those in China who still hold on to traditional culture.

“I thought it was very poignant,” Mr. Kurre said.

Mr. Kurre had high praise for the various aspects and talents brought together to put on a performance like Shen Yun, from the composers, arrangers, and musicians who made the orchestral accompaniment possible, to the choreographers, designers, and dancers that put together the performance on stage.

“The gracefulness. The limberness,” he marveled. “They got one foot on the ground and one foot straight up in the air. I mean, the flexibility, the limberness, they seem to float in the air. They’re just so graceful and they’re so beautiful to watch.”

“There’s just so much about it that’s so enjoyable,” he said.

Reporting by Terri Wu.

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