SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Inspires Fresno Audience Members to Attend Again and Again

Feb 03, 2024

FRESNO, Calif.—Gary and Cathy Sibbett are fans of Shen Yun Performing Arts, having attended a performance of the renowned arts company three years in a row.

“And [we] expect years four and five,” Mr. Sibbett said at the William Saroyan Theatre the afternoon of Feb. 3.

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company and puts on an all-new production each year.

The couple shared their favorite segments and details, from costumes they found particularly beautiful to humorous stories told through dance, and the unique East-West orchestra.

“I love it all, I love all, I’m speechless, it’s marvelous,” said Mrs. Sibbett.

The couple was impressed with not only Shen Yun’s artistry but its mission as well.

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through music and dance, but traditional Chinese culture is not something that is welcome in China today. Since the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949, it has actively sought to root out traditional culture, often through violent means.

Mr. Sibbett said he thought Shen Yun was fighting for the people of China, and “that’s awesome, I think it’s very bold.”

Mrs. Sibbett said that tradition and freedom represented by Shen Yun was “the way it should be.”

“It’s the way it should be, absolutely,” Mr. Sibbett added in agreement. “It’s very bold and brave of them to do it; I applaud them.”

‘Gives Me Hope’

Also moved by Shen Yun’s mission was Orlando Perez, who said upon finally seeing Shen Yun in person, he wanted to attend again in the future.

“I like the message,” he said. “Because it gives me hope that things can change and get better.”

Orlando Alvarez enjoyed Shen Yun at the William Saroyan Theatre in Fresno, California, on the afternoon of Feb. 3, 2024. (Nan Su/The Epoch Times) — Orlando Alvarez enjoyed Shen Yun at the William Saroyan Theatre in Fresno, California, on the afternoon of Feb. 3, 2024. Nan Su/The Epoch Times

“I wanted to see more about the traditions and the rich culture,” Mr. Perez said. “They introduce me to stories from a long time ago, legends, and now I have more things I can research on my own.”

Mr. Perez said he saw in Shen Yun a message of the divine, and it inspired him to learn more about traditional Chinese culture.

He said he was familiar with Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism—philosophies in which China’s 5,000 years of civilization were rooted—but Shen Yun touched on much more.

“Here, there is more! There is something bigger. I want to find out more,” Mr. Perez explained.

One of the things he wanted to further research was Falun Gong, which he saw in the performance and knew through a friend, is still being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual meditation practice that teaches the three principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance. For upholding these traditional virtues and a belief in the divine, the Chinese Communist Party has sought to eradicate the practice since 1999.

Mr. Perez said his reaction had been one of “outrage” when he first learned about the brutal persecution, but he also learned that despite the violence these practitioners face, they have continued, and people all around the world have recognized and supported the practice.

In fact, Shen Yun was founded by artists from all around the world who came to America to seek freedom, including Falun Gong practitioners who fled persecution in China.

“The movement keeps going, and I very much admire that,” he said.

Reporting by Nan Su.

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