SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Was ‘Worth Every Minute’: Actress and Singer

Mar 27, 2025

3/27/2025Updated: 3/27/2025

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.—Nicole Nogrady goes by Lady Nogrady on stage. She’s both a singer and actress, and she came to experience Shen Yun Performing Arts on March 26, 2025.

“I’ve been hearing about Shen Yun for probably the last year and a half, and when I got invited today to go, I drove three hours to come, and I’m so glad I did,” Ms. Nogrady said.

Ms. Nogrady added that being able to experience Shen Yun gave her the ability “to put your phone away for two hours and just fully immerse yourself into a performance and be around the energy of the performers and the energy of the people in the audience, as well as the orchestra.”

Many artists who come to see Shen Yun have remarked about the vibrant colors on stage. Ms. Nogrady, shared that the colors made her smile.

“It was worth every minute. What I really noticed and loved is all the color. I like color, as you can tell. It was like watching a rainbow in front of you dancing around. I’m a very visual person. And so it I just couldn’t stop smiling just at what my eyes were seeing,” Ms. Nogrady shared.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its live orchestra is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble.

“I am a musician. Yes—almost 20 years now. I used to play the violin, and I was extremely impressed with the orchestra,” Ms. Nogrady said.

She shared that at the end of the performance, she stood to give the artists a standing ovation, and that’s when she noticed the live orchestra.

“At the end when we stood up and we were clapping, I noticed how many young people were in the orchestra, and it made my heart so happy because I feel music has become so digital. To see such an appreciation for real instruments took me back in time to some of the best, happiest times in my childhood when I would go to see the ballet,” Ms. Nogrady recalled.

She loved the erhu soloist who had her moment under the spotlight.

“It was beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like that,” she said.

Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive and athletic dance systems in the world.

“I was so impressed at the stamina. I was a dancer long ago. I kept thinking to myself, where are they getting the energy? So whatever they are doing, keep doing it because it is working. And it was just so beautiful. All of the women were so very uniform, but also in the face, so unique,” Ms. Nogrady said.

Shen Yun’s use of its digital backdrop is patented. The versatility of technology allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.

“I was really impressed with it. The way the dancers kind of come in and out of the digital background was an experience I’ve never had before. And it was really nice to see the mixture of organic and inorganic coming together in such a beautiful way,” Ms. Nogrady said.

Reporting by NTD and Maria Han.

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