SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘Every American, Every Culture Should Watch Shen Yun,’ Says Dancer

May 09, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla.—On May 9, Bachata dancer Bernie Bachetera and Steve Hall, an entrepreneur, attended Shen Yun’s matinee at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Ms. Bachetera, who is half-Chinese, was deeply impressed by the performers’ portrayal of classical Chinese culture.

“I think it brings out the best of authentic Chinese dancing. I like classical dancing but [Shen Yun] was not just a performance—it was more the expression of the Chinese culture,” she said.

“It’s wonderful. The historical [aspects] and the performance—it was impeccable. The dancers were amazing. It’s like I’m watching Chinese culture all in one in two hours. It’s amazing.”

As one of the oldest civilizations in the world, China’s 5,000 years of history is filled with breathtaking legends and rich traditions. Yet, within just a few decades of the Chinese communists’ rise to power, this magnificent culture was destroyed.

The spread of atheism quickly eradicated Chinese people’s belief in the divine. The cherished virtues and values learned from the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism also disappeared.

Today, the New York-based Shen Yun is working to revive this lost civilization and bring it back to the world through dance and music.

Ms. Bachetera thought the performance “brought back a lot of [her cultural] values, which is very different from the Western world here.”

“Every American, every culture should watch this because they’ll learn a lot, especially those who have not been to [Asia] and the [Asian] side of the world. It’s something mystical, and they don’t have a clue.”

She also appreciated the artists’ incorporation of spirituality into their programs. Ms. Bachetera thinks believing in the divine is “a universal thing.”

“Different people have different beliefs, but I think having a power beyond us is really significant,” she added.

Given the chance, she’d like to tell Shen Yun artists they did “a really great job.”

“It’s nothing like any performance you watch. It’s something extraordinary. Very spectacular. I love it, love it, love it. I can watch it again.”

Keala Ciocon (L) and Michael enjoyed Shen Yun's matinee at the Dr. Philips Center for the Performing Arts on May 9, 2024. (Sally Sun/The Epoch Times) — Keala Ciocon (L) and Michael enjoyed Shen Yun's matinee at the Dr. Philips Center for the Performing Arts on May 9, 2024. Sally Sun/The Epoch Times

Also in the audience was business owner Keala Ciocon, who worked as a professional dancer at Disney for 25 years. She, too, enjoyed the performance and lamented the Chinese Communist Party’s destruction of such a beautiful culture.

“I feel really sad that [China] is a big beautiful country with a big beautiful culture, yet it’s being ruled by a small minority that’s killing its heart and soul. I was brought to tears just thinking about how unjust and unfair it is,” she expressed.

“I appreciate, I respect, and I admire” traditional Chinese culture and the performers’ pursuit of “expression and the freedom of humanity.”

As Shen Yun continues to tour throughout the years, Ms. Ciocon hopes the artists can “keep up [their] heart and spirit and take care of their bodies because their bodies are sending the message.”

Reporting by Sally Sun 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.