PHILADELPHIA—Seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Merriam Theater on April 26 was “a treat,” said Dr. Alfredo Lopez, the director of Alivio Medical Center and the center’s expert in neurology.

He said through the performance, he was able to learn about Chinese culture in a very beautiful and visual way. 

According to Shen Yun’s website, a Shen Yun show “weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture.”

Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. It presents performances with a unique live orchestra, and highly visual animated backdrop that recreates ancient scenes. 

Dr. Alivio, who has authored over 40 journal articles and serves as a reviewer for several international medical journals, said the meaning he discovered in Shen Yun was “very inspirational.” 

In particular, he mentioned being inspired by the “dancing in the heavens,” and how the last performance “Buddha’s Compassion Shines Forth,” creates a new future. 

“I just love it,” Dr. Alivio said. 

Dr. Alivio found Shen Yun inspirational in other ways as well. 

Based in New York, Shen Yun is independent of the Chinese regime and enjoys artistic freedom. It has however faced harassment from the Chinese regime on several occasions, and is not allowed to perform in China. 

“Since the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] is officially an atheist regime, it is afraid of the freedom of expression this arts company enjoys in the West,” the Shen Yun website states. For this reason, although Shen Yun tours the globe, it has never been able to perform in mainland China.

Dr. Alivio said, “[Shen Yun artists] can express their spirituality and express their artistic skills because they are not back in the mainland. And the fact that they can take that message to the world, and tell [people] back in the mainland that there is hope, that is just impressive,” he said.

“I think everybody should watch it, and everybody should learn,” he said.

Reporting by NTD Television and Ananda West

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts. 

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.