SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is Very Creative and Very Unique, Says Texas Theatergoer

Feb 25, 2024

EL PASO, Texas—On Feb. 24, Laura Maldonado, a counselor, and her husband BB, a public school director, eagerly attended Shen Yun’s evening show at the Plaza Theatre. The couple had been looking forward to this experience for several years and were thrilled to finally attend.

Sitting in the audience of the Plaza Theatre, Mrs. Maldonado was impressed and thought the show was very educational.

“It’s beautiful. I didn’t know that they weren’t allowed to [perform] in China currently. That’s sad,” she stated.

“I think it’s great—I’m reading about the artistic director and [how] he’s keeping Chinese culture alive and the history alive through the school. I think that’s wonderful.”

New York-based Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party. Their dream is to bring back the country’s 5,000 years of traditional culture that had been destroyed by decades of communist rule.

In the 2024 touring season, Shen Yun performers will be traveling to over 200 cities across five continents to share with the world, through dance and music, the beauty of pre-communist China.

However, for their focus on reviving traditional culture and bringing awareness to human rights issues, Shen Yun is banned by the communist regime from performing in China.

Mrs. Maldonado especially enjoyed Shen Yun’s story dance depicting the magical monkey king from China’s classic legend “Journey to the West.”

Paired with Shen Yun’s innovative digital backdrop, the performers “seem to float in and off the screen,” she said.

“That’s very creative. I’ve never seen that before. It’s very unique.”

Mr. Maldonado, too, loved the performance.

“It’s great, it’s amazing. Very acrobatic and traditional,” he exclaimed.

As a history educator, Mr. Maldonado has studied a lot about Chinese history and culture. He was happy to find resonance in the culture and ethnic traditions depicted by Shen Yun artists.

He will “absolutely, 100%” recommend Shen Yun to his friends and family.

“It’s very historically based. I really do like it because it’s historically accurate. The Qing dynasty and the Mongolians in Mongolia—It’s very accurate. I love it.”

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.