SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Maori Singer Feels Connection With Traditional Chinese Culture at Shen Yun

Feb 21, 2025

Singer Maisey Rika felt an unexpected familiarity and resonating spiritual message watching Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Aotea Centre’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Auckland.

Speaking of her Māori heritage, Ms. Rika said she found similarities with concepts between her own culture and that of traditional China, as she was transported by Shen Yun on a journey through the Middle Kingdom’s 5,000 years of culture and history—a culture that, like her own, has sadly been almost lost in modern times.

Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by a small group of elite Chinese artists with one mission in mind—to revive the beauty and goodness of “China before communism.”

According to Shen Yun’s website, almost every culture throughout history has looked toward the divine for inspiration. And the creations of art and music from these divinely inspired cultures were made to uplift and bring joy to all involved.

Shen Yun’s artists are reviving this tradition in the creation of art, and are inspired by the spiritual discipline known as Falun Dafa, which teaches truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance as guiding values to living a harmonious life.

“I think back to our tikanga (Māori law) and our culture as well—we have that really strong connection to our ancestors, connection to the atua (supernatural beings), or the ariki (high chief), or the divine beings,” Ms. Rika said from the Feb. 20 performance. “So I took a lot from that as well.

“I think [Shen Yun] is definitely filling a beautiful gap in today’s day and age,” she added. “Very uplifting for your spirit.”

As an artist and musician herself, Ms. Rika was impressed by Shen Yun’s colorful costumes, stagecraft, and live orchestra.

“The colors, you know, I think about everybody coming together (kotahitanga) in unity. And the dance and music and culture is really beautiful to see—bringing people together,” she said.

“The music, for me, really tells the story also. It’s a beautiful combination with the dance, and I think it just really emphasizes the storytelling side of things.”

Ms. Rika also remarked on Shen Yun’s trademark backdrop, which animated each scene as the various stories unfolded on stage. The dancers added a touch of magic, jumping in and out of the animation in a way that only those who have seen Shen Yun in person can believe.

“I would recommend [Shen Yun] because it is very uplifting for your spirit,” she said.

“It’s very colorful, flamboyant, inspiring. … And it’s something different. Yes, absolutely beautiful.”

With reporting by NTD and Melanie Sun.

For a performance near you, theatergoers can book tickets by visiting ShenYun.com/tickets.

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