SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘Elegant and Well-Timed,’ Says Theater Manager

Feb 23, 2025

OKLAHOMA CITY—Theater manager Mark Levine first experienced Shen Yun Performing Arts 10 years ago and absolutely loved it. On Feb. 22, he returned to the OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater for another performance.

“Very good, very good. I enjoyed it very much. Wonderful, beautiful, dancing and the stories resonate for me,” he said.

“The nice thing for me is that everything is just elegant and well-timed, well-placed. As you’re looking at that, especially [the] choreography, you can tell that it’s very thoughtful.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance and music company. Presenting a brand-new set of programs each year, the company has been delighting audiences around the world since 2006.

Determined to restore traditional culture lost to decades of communist rule, these artists are devoted to reviving China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired heritage and sharing with the world, beauty before communism.

Mr. Levine particularly enjoyed the story-based dance piece depicting a scene from one of China’s most beloved classical novels, ‘Journey to the West’. “It’s a very touching story that I think is very important,” he said.

In fact, he loved all of the storyline programs—from the one about a day in the life of a restaurant, to the final program that transported the audience to present-day China, delivering a message that if people are willing to uphold traditional moral values and treat each other with kindness, the divine will aid us in times of trouble.

“The very last scene, where the tsunami is coming—I really thought that that was well put together. The way that’s portrayed, is very, very mindful and very touching.”

Shen Yun’s program features a collection of short pieces that transport the audience through China’s rich history and diverse landscapes.

Through classical Chinese dance, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, the artists bring to life legends taken from ancient dynasties to the present day.

Reflecting on the company’s message to bring back spirituality and the divine, Mr. Levine said it was tastefully done.

“I think it’s great. … It’s not forced upon people and they can understand what’s going on [with] the stories and connect with the truth,” he said.

The message he will be bringing back home with him is that “we need to reconnect with our past and with those that came before us. Maybe take a moment to step away from TV and technology and really appreciate—look inward to find what motivates us.”

Reporting by Sonia Wu 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.