SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘I Love Shen Yun … It Brings Tears to My Eyes,’ Says Retired Ballerina

Feb 15, 2024

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.—Michelle Carter, a former ballerina who has transitioned to a career in nursing, attended Shen Yun’s evening performance on Valentine’s Day at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

Watching the dancers’ fluid movements on stage, Ms. Carter said it brought her back to her childhood and reminded her of the first time she ever went to ballet class.

“It’s so beautiful. I love Shen Yun. They don’t wear toe shoes—they’re on foot. Their extensions—it’s just so beautiful. It gives me chills and makes me want to cry. I wish I could continue to be a dancer,” she said.

“The moves, the flow, it just makes me feel like a child, and it brings tears to my eyes. We came to see Shen Yun in 2012. We enjoyed it then, and we enjoy it now.”

Through classical Chinese dance and music, New York-based Shen Yun is sharing the beauty of China’s 5,000 years of history with the world. Since its founding in 2006, the company has received worldwide accolades.

According to its website, Shen Yun is demonstrating the beauty of China before communism. The artists are also committed to raising awareness about societal issues that are ongoing in modern-day China.

For this reason, the artists are currently banned by the communist regime from performing in China.

“I don’t believe in communism,” Ms. Carter commented.

“I feel like everyone should be free. The dancers, in their dance, they are free. I feel like when we see them, it mimics that. They’re now in New York, and I hope there’s going to be many more shows and many more [dancers] that’s going to join.”

Ms. Carter also really enjoyed the spiritual element of the performance. The message she will be bringing home with her from the evening is “truth, love, belonging, and knowing.”

“When you’re a child, you grow up. Your parents are there to protect you, but what you choose to do along the way is your own choice. You choose to be a good person, or you choose to be a bad person. It’s about faith—it guides us all,” she said.

John McKinnon at Shen Yun's evening show at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in South Carolina on Feb. 14, 2024. (Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times) — John McKinnon at Shen Yun's evening show at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in South Carolina on Feb. 14, 2024. Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times

Also in the audience was John McKinnon, a physician and professor of infectious diseases. He, too, was experiencing Shen Yun for the second time.

“It’s very interesting. It’s nice to see other aspects of Chinese culture, and it’s very educational as well. I liked both the art and the history behind it,” he explained.

“Some of the traditional things—you don’t see that in current movies or current things about China. I think it’s very inspirational in the sense that it highlights the positive things that sometimes are missed in the current kind of art.”

For Dr. McKinnon, Shen Yun’s mission to uphold traditional values means to “be good to others, help others, try to see things in different ways, value everybody’s life, and value everybody’s opportunities.”

Shen Yun’s message “definitely speaks to the heart,” he added.

“It definitely speaks about the original kind of what is Chinese culture. It’s not just what you see in the news, but it’s what the people want—to go back [to traditions.]”

Reporting by Sherry Dong 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.