SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Shows ‘A Wonderful Connection Between Art and Culture,’ Says Vancouver Theatergoer

Apr 12, 2025

4/12/2025Updated: 4/12/2025

VANCOUVER—On April 11, Martial arts instructor Nick Cheng attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ third show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

As a Chinese Canadian, Mr. Cheng said he is proud to see so many audience members enjoying traditional Chinese culture.

Shen Yun “was very interesting, very amazing. All the movements were very incredible. It was good. It brought back some old childhood stories—to see it put in motion and dance with all the music was really good. I really enjoyed it,” he said.

“I feel very proud … This is also part of my culture, my heritage. I think seeing so many different people with different backgrounds enjoying our culture and sharing this across the world, I think it’s a very wonderful thing.”

Endowed with 5,000 years of history, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For millennia, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and adhering to strict moral standards, they would be blessed by the divine.

However, after the communist takeover and the spread of atheism, all this traditional culture was systematically destroyed. These New York-based artists’ mission is to bring back the beauty and goodness of pre-communist China.

As a martial artist, Mr. Cheng paid close attention to the performers’ skill and coordination. He was deeply impressed, and noticed that the energy level remained “very high” throughout the night.

“The skill level is very high, very good. The coordination is phenomenal, the athleticism is incredible. So, very, very impressive,” he added.

“The energy from the performers was very good. They’re always smiling, they’re very happy. So as the audience watching it, I also feel connected because then they’re enjoying their movement. When we see someone perform and they’re enjoying it, it makes the audience also enjoy it as well.”

The name “Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.”

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.

Mr. Cheng said the spiritual element of the performance was “a nice touch” because “it kind of shows what humanity is like and how everyone should be.”

“I think if everyone around the world is a lot nicer to each other, it’s nicer for everybody. The whole show wrapped everything up really nicely, tied everything together really, really well.”

He loved Shen Yun’s story-based dances that not only recount legends from ancient times to the modern day, but also convey important traditional values such as truth and kindness.

“I think [we] need to teach the next generation how to be compassionate—that’s how the world gets better,” he explained.

Shen Yun’s “depiction of these stories helps young children see, because nowadays all young children [do] is watch videos. So, I think seeing live action and movements without speaking from the actors—it’s a wonderful connection between art and culture.”

Mr. Cheng is eager to share his experience with his family and was excited to learn that the company debuts a completely new program each year. He’s already looking forward to coming back next season for more.

Reporting by Nancy Ma 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.