With great anticipation, on March 5 and 6 the capital of Idaho, Boise, will open the curtains of the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts to Shen Yun.

Shen Yun Performing Arts has graced the stages of great cities around the world, and Boise will join them in celebrating Shen Yun on stage as they have in years past.

Performers trained in dance appreciated the training and skill exhibited by Shen Yun’s dancers.

“They all have exceptional talent and strength and agility,” Sarah Lebengood, a former ballet dancer, said. “I watched them, and I remember just the amazing technical ability that these athletes have.”

“I think whenever you’re able to convey a part of your culture to an area that has no idea, that they don’t know the history, they don’t know the culture, and they’re able to convey it in such a beautiful fashion, it really speaks not only to the skill but also to the artistry of the dancers. It’s great,” Ms. Lebengood said.

Dance teacher Josie Akre said she waited 10 years before finally seeing the performance.

What struck Mrs. Akre as she sat watching the performance was that “there should be no limit on movement or movement potential. [Shen Yun dancers] have really tapped into using every possible way they can to express with their bodies.”

“I had no idea that [Chinese people] believed that too,” she said. “It makes me feel a connection. We are all united with a similar goal and vision for good.”

These values shown in the dance stories resonated with general contractor Drew Drewry: “Even though my culture here in the United States and the culture over there in China is significantly different, we still have similar values that we value in life. We value those simple things of kindness, pleasantries, and beauty.”

Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) attended Shen Yun for the first time last year.

“It’s a combination of art and history told in a wonderful way. I’m very appreciative for the opportunity to [see the performance,]” he said.

From the moment the curtain rose, retired Air Force avionics technician Thom Juul said he couldn’t stop smiling.

“I almost cried,” he said. “[Smiling] was all I could do to keep the tears [back]. It was so beautiful, and when the curtain goes down, I want more.”

Ralph May, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul in southwest Idaho, loved Shen Yun the first time he watched it in 2023.

“Honestly, it was very fascinating to learn about the whole show. I didn’t know a lot about Shen Yun before coming to the show and so it was powerful to learn about the whole story behind the persecution and the exodus from China,” Mr. May said.

“It stirred me very deeply. It captured me down to my soul in many ways, just the power of the movement, back and forth, and the powerful story that was being told in each one of the segments,” he said.

This year, as Shen Yun is set to perform in over 200 cities around the world and across five continents, the 2025 touring season is shaping up to be the artists’ busiest yet and a glorious treat for theatergoers.