SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Company VP Calls Shen Yun ‘Wonderful’

Feb 28, 2025

LAS VEGAS—On Feb. 27, company vice president Cindy Guinasso and her husband Angelo, a retired aerospace engineer, were swept away by Shen Yun Performing Arts’ breathtaking performance at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

“It was wonderful. It was just a cultural experience,” Mrs. Guinasso said. “I like the Mongolian dance. I thought that was pretty cool. ... But all of it was such a walk in time. It was just amazing to see.”

Endowed with a rich history, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For thousands of years, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and adhering to strict moral standards, they would be blessed by the divine.

Indeed, for 5,000 years the country prospered. However, after the communist takeover and its spread of atheism, all this traditional culture was almost completely destroyed.

Founded in 2006 by elite Chinese artists who fled persecution, the New York-based Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving the beauty and virtues of pre-communist China.

Its performance takes the audience through China’s dynasties and legends, while also raising awareness for the ongoing human rights challenges in present-day China.

Reflecting on the artists’ mission, Mrs. Guinasso said, the “1940s wasn’t that long ago, and to see how communism has come ... and what was before that—the dynasties. It was fun to watch, amazing to watch.”

As someone who loves traveling and learning about different cultures, Mr. Guinasso thought the whole evening was incredible.

“Tonight, to me, was a little bit of an eye opener for seeing a beautiful side of China versus what we’ve been told,” he said. “It was the colors and the dance, and relating those specific dances to history and regions, that makes me kind of want to see and learn more.”

He also appreciated the company’s bilingual hosts, who provided brief introductions before the curtain rose for each program.

“It helped me understand what I was watching, and kind of got the mind and the curiosity going,” he said.

“My takeaway from tonight was not only the beauty and the colors, and the beauty of the athleticism of the dancers—but a feeling that there was a beauty in the culture and the people. … The show is a nice little window to see all that.”

Mrs. Guinasso added that while China hadn’t been on their list of must-visit destinations, watching Shen Yun’s performance made her appreciate its rich history and beauty—she would love to see it in person.

The message she will be bringing home from this cultural experience is “We may look different, but we’re all the same.”

Reporting by Linda Jiang 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.