SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘I Love the Dancing’: Chief Information Officer About Shen Yun

Dec 29, 2024

HOUSTON—A senior company executive who saw Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time on Saturday said his son would have loved the performance just like he did if he had come.

Rob Stegman, chief information officer of a Houston-based company in health technology and revenue cycle management, and Phyllis Stegman, said they enjoyed the music coming from Shen Yun’s one-of-a-kind symphony orchestra. One particular instrument that stood out to the company executive was the Chinese two-stringed violin called erhu.

“I feel like the music heals,” Phyllis Stegman said at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts on Dec. 28. “It’s just healing. It just makes you happy.”

“The erhu, yes, I love it. That was very cool,” Rob Stegman said. “My son, he loves instruments. He’s not here. He would have loved it just to see that one instrument.”

New York-based Shen Yun, which has grown from one to eight touring groups since its inception in 2006, showcases classical Chinese dance and music, including ethnic and folk dances, and story-based dances. The on-stage performance is accompanied by a live orchestra, which combines Western symphonic instruments with traditional Chinese instruments, including the erhu.

The erhu has a history of over 4,000 years, Shen Yun said on its website. In ancient China, the instrument played a crucial role in folk performances, operas, and imperial banquets during all of the Chinese dynasties, Shen Yun added.

Despite its simple design, the erhu can be used to express a wide range of emotions, becoming a vehicle of joy, sorrow, grace, or tenderness, according to Shen Yun. The performing arts company said it has taken the erhu to “new heights.”

“I love the dancing. It’s amazing,” Rob Stegman said, calling the Shen Yun dancers “truly athletes.”

Phyllis Stegman said, “The choreography was intense. They were up there for a long length of time and it was energy, 100 percent.”

Overall, the experience of watching the performance was amazing, she said, which included the interaction between the animated backdrop and the Shen Yun dancers.

Shen Yun stated that its animated backdrop has been legally patented, with scenes designed to depict China’s diverse geography, society, regions, and dynasties.

“Some scenes even transcend this world, bringing you a touch of the heavens,” Shen Yun said.

Reporting by Frank Liang and Frank Fang.

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