SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun’s Musicians ‘Were Phenomenal,’ Says Retired Musician

Mar 26, 2025

3/26/2025Updated: 3/26/2025

CHEYENNE, Wyo—On March 25, Wylie Smith, a retired musician, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts with his wife, Linda, for the first time at the Cheyenne Civic Center. The couple thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

“I really enjoyed the orchestra. They were phenomenal. I think really in this show, the conductor and the choreographers had the hardest job,” Mr. Smith said.

“A conductor is supposed to watch what’s going on the stage and try to coordinate the musicians with what’s going on—the timing that he had was just excellent. The choreographers, to come up with all of those dance moves and stuff and the creativeness of the interaction with the screen, it was all very enjoyable.”

Mrs. Smith chimed in that every part of the performance was delightful. “I really like the screen. I like the colors. I like the performance itself and the stories that it was telling. It was good,” she said.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company dedicated to reviving China’s rich culture nearly lost under decades of communist rule. Its orchestra is the first in the world to permanently combine ancient Chinese and Western instruments.

Seamlessly blending the grandeur of a Western orchestra with the ethereal beauty of Chinese melodies, Shen Yun musicians produce a profound emotional range that captures the depth of the human experience.

In addition to the orchestra, Mr. Smith also loved the solo performance by the erhu—an ancient Chinese instrument that is reminiscent of the human voice. Though it only has two strings, it is capable of expressing a wide range of emotions.

“That was phenomenal. I love that.—It was just so, so smooth. I can’t find the word—it was, it was very good,” he said.

“Flutes, when they play, in some ranges, they have a haunting quality. That’s what I was noticing out of a string instrument. I don’t [usually] hear string instruments play haunting melodies. … It’s hard to describe. It was very good.”

Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith loved the story dance reenacting a famous scene from the classic Chinese legend “Journey to the West,” as well as the divine-inspired piece that depicted the Creator descending to earth to help people in times of trouble.

“The world’s kind of [messed] up and we kind of need for God to come down here and straighten some things out,” Mr. Smith said.

He also enjoyed the “water sleeves” dance, where the dancers’ long flowing sleeves billowed and flowed.

“The waterfall sleeves on the ladies, that was just enchanting—how they could fling them out and then bring them back in,” he expressed. “That was very cool. The athleticism of the men was pretty phenomenal.”

“I watch those people jump around the stage and land on the floor and do these flips and stuff. I’m having trouble putting on my shoes—it’s a long way down to those things.”

Lastly, Mr. Smith would like to tell the performers, “Thank you.”

“We came here not really knowing what to expect, but it was wonderful,” he added.

Reporting by Lily Yu 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.