SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Had a Great Message,' Says California Educator

Apr 18, 2025

4/18/2025Updated: 4/18/2025

COSTA MESA, Calif.—Mari Barke, vice president of the Orange County Board of Education, wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she arrived at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts on April 17 to see Shen Yun Performing Arts. By the end of the evening, she was truly glad she had come.

“It was amazing. It actually exceeded my expectations. I’m so glad that I made it tonight. It was amazing. I brought a friend along, and she felt the same way. The scenery, the costumes, the dancing, and even the interpretation. … It was excellent,” she said.

“The skill is just amazing. Just absolutely amazing of the dancers—the men, the women, the hair—everything was just perfect. The colors were gorgeous, each costume was prettier than the one before. [Shen Yun] had a very nice message.”

Not being familiar with Chinese culture, Ms. Barke was especially grateful for Shen Yun’s bilingual hosts, who provided brief introductions and historical context for each piece before the curtain opened.

She also loved the company’s 3D animated backdrop that seamlessly collaborated with the dancers on stage to bring storytelling to life.

“The interactive backdrop was amazing. The timing was just amazing. It exceeded my expectations. I didn’t expect it to be as fantastic as it was,” she exclaimed. “The backdrop—seeing people go into [it] and come out, it was quite amazing.”

According to the company’s website, the name ‘Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Based in New York, the artists have made it their mission to revive, through dance and music, China’s divinely inspired civilization to its pre-communist glory.

The performance is comprised of a series of short pieces that take the audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China. Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun tells tales from ancient times to the modern day.

Ms. Barke was deeply moved by the message of truth and compassion prevalent throughout the performance.

“I loved that kindness wins over. I think it had a great message. It looks like in the show [those who are kind,] they do persevere, which I loved,” she said.

“The message I got was, don’t always assume people are who they are. Many people are stronger than they appear. Always being kind is one of the most important things that you can do while on this earth.”

As an educator, Ms. Barke thinks Shen Yun would be a great show to bring the students to.

“I think it would be great for them to see this and for so many reasons—the artistry, the talks about the divine, just everything about it—I think it would be excellent.”

Ms. Barke believes that everyone in the world can benefit from the artists’ message.

“Another strong point of the show is the traditional values that it shows—people caring for one another, and protecting one another, and being grateful for one another. I love to see the gratitude and the kindness.”

Lastly, she would like to commend all the performers for all their efforts and tell them, “Thank you.”

“I know the time it takes to learn that and to perform. It was with such precision the way they do it. So, thank you for all the time they put forth in putting on such a wonderful show and sharing such a wonderful message.”

Reporting by Linda Jiang 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.