SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Makes You a Better Person,’ Says Dance Instructor

Jan 29, 2025

1/29/2025Updated: 1/29/2025

ORANGE PARK, Fla.—Zoika Garcia, a dance instructor and former principal dancer with the National Opera of Cuba, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts last year and was so impressed that she returned for another show on Jan. 28 at the Thrasher-Horne Center at St. Johns River State College.

“I came last year, and I came back today and it’s fantastic. It’s amazing. I love it. Really, I recommend [it]. It’s something you can’t expect. It’s very beautiful,” she said.

“I love [it.] It’s perfect. Everybody dances together—I can feel the energy from the stage, and it’s like a [wonder] to see something like that. It’s very professional. I love it.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.

According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles. Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest form—the way it was originally passed down through the generations.

Ms. Garcia felt a lot of positive energy coming from the performers and loved that everyone was collaborating together to complete the company’s mission—bringing back the beauty of China’s divine-inspired culture to its pre-communist glory.

“I think the energy from every single part and every single person dancing—You can feel it. Everything is important,” she said. “Everybody is important in the show ... [Regardless of if] people are in the back or in the front.”

Ms. Garcia loved how technically skilled the artists were and marveled at the strength of the male dancers.

“I love a lot of the boys’ dances. I think [that] plasticity is not easy to find in boys,” she expressed. “At the same time, they are super strong, and they are super flexible. I’m really impressed with that.”

Reflecting on the divine aspect of the performance, Ms. Garcia said Shen Yun presented “a perfect combination” of spirituality and artistry.

She felt a sense of peace throughout the performance, and said what the artists delivered was more than technique.

Ms. Garcia said she thought it was a pity that the Chinese Communist Party has banned Shen Yun from performing in China due to the company’s dedication to reviving traditional culture and presenting the truth about events under communist rule in present-day China.

“I was born in Cuba. So, I completely understand what happened there. Sometimes, you can’t say or express yourself … I read the program, I read about Shen Yun, and then I understood. They need to come and put outside [what] happened [in China].”

Ms. Garcia said Shen Yun’s message is “beautiful” and “perfect.”

“It makes you a better person. I feel like this makes you better for everything that you do. If you are dancing, if you are working outside, it’s impressive,” she said.

For people who haven’t seen Shen Yun “I want to say you need to come, and after that, you can have another different opinion about Chinese dance. I think it’s incredible,” she said.

Reporting by NTD 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.