SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Shares ‘ Exactly What We Need,’ Says Cellist

Apr 21, 2025

4/21/2025Updated: 4/21/2025

OTTAWA, Canada—Cellist Joan Harrison was gifted a ticket to Shen Yun Performing Arts, and she found the music and art beautiful, and the mission eye-opening.

“I loved that it was a live orchestra, I really appreciated that, and they sounded fabulous. A lot of energy, the music was beautiful, and it matched what was on stage beautifully, the costumes were incredible, especially I loved the ‘water sleeves’ that come out, that was really fun,” Ms. Harrison said after seeing Shen Yun on April 20.

“The stories were really powerful,” Ms. Harrison added, sharing that she had studied ancient East Asian culture and read major Chinese classics and poetry, and found Shen Yun full of stories from China’s history and literature.

“I assume that, well, these ancient stories, they’re part of the culture, it’s taught to children—I was very surprised by the message that China is the only place it’s not traveling to,” she said.

Founded in New York in 2006, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company. With a mission to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, or “China before communism,” Shen Yun explains that the Chinese communist regime has for years sought to stop Shen Yun from performing.

Ms. Harrison said this was sad because “people need their culture.”

“Showing the stories through the arts is probably the most powerful, because if someone comes up and tells you, you don’t hear it. But when you get it through the arts, it goes in here,” she said. “But I think especially in troubled times, we need our foundation and where we come from, so I hope that people will learn the ancient stories.”

“And it showed the spirituality of Chinese cultures—cultures, not just one culture,” Ms. Harrison said, referring to the diverse program which included ethnic and folk dances from some of China’s 50-some ethnic minorities.

Traditional Chinese culture is a divinely inspired culture, and Ms. Harrison said this spirituality Shen Yun conveyed was “what’s needed in this world.”

“Here in Canada we’re learning about indigenous culture, and the Creator, and the importance of living within nature, and understanding that we’re here to work together, that we’re all related, that being kind and serving each other is really what it’s all about,” she said, adding that Shen Yun “just fits along with exactly what we need.”

“We know that tradition is really important—there’s research that talks about how important it is for children to grow up with traditions,” she added.

As a cellist, Ms. Harrison served as principal for in many ensembles, including opera orchestras, chamber groups, baroque ensembles, and has even performed together with a pipa player. So the music of Shen Yun was familiar in ways to Ms. Harrison, with its inclusion of ancient Chinese instruments like the erhu and pipa.

“I think it works great, I think it’s also really important,” she said. “I wasn’t necessarily thinking ‘oh it’s a Chinese melody with Western instruments,’ it all blended, and I found it very energetic. And I knew some of the melodies actually.”

“I could use another two hours at least,” Ms. Harrison said. “I think this is great. I hope it continues for many more years.

Reporting by Donna Liang and Catherine Yang.

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