SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Theatergoer Says Shen Yun Can’t Let Chinese Culture Die

Feb 05, 2025

WOKING, UK—The audience at the New Victoria Theatre thoroughly enjoyed a Feb. 4 performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Philip and Helen Chick attended and were pleasantly surprised at the performance. Mr. Chick, an engineer, said: “I can’t imagine the amount of work and dedication and effort that goes into making something look so easy. It’s so beautiful and colorful and fluid. This isn’t the sort of thing I normally do, but I found it was quite emotional.

Mrs. Chick, a supermarket assistant, said: “I had a wonderful time. It’s very calming.”

Shen Yun’s mission is to restore the goodness and glory of China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and share with the world its beauty before communism.

Mr. Chick was touched when he heard that Shen Yun is banned in China. “It feels real sadness as well that this can’t be seen in China,” he said.

“I think that tradition and culture is something that has to be preserved,” said Mr. Chick. “And I think that they’re very brave. I know it’s sad that they have to be based in New York, but I think it’s something that you should strive to maintain. You can’t let this die because regimes fall, and then you have an outbreak of sanity—common sense. You never know, this may one day return to China, and that’s what I really hope will happen.”

The production itself was exciting, especially the 3D animated backdrop. “I just think [it’s amazing] that the live-action ... becomes graphic when they disappear into the screen,” Mr. Chick said.

Mrs. Chick agreed, “It’s very clever.”

The last dance featured a character in water. Mr. Chick noted how it affected him. “The one I found quite dramatic was when, obviously he was consumed by the water, consumed by the waves. You forget yourself. You lose yourself. It’s extraordinary,” he said.

Mr. Chick was not aware at first of Shen Yun’s live orchestra, which features a harmonious combination of Eastern and Western instruments.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? I didn’t realize at first and then, of course, when the conductor stood up, I suddenly realized we had a live orchestra. It’s so beautifully synchronized,” he said.

China’s Modern History Is a ‘Very Serious Matter to Think About,’ Says Ophthalmologist

Tom Poole attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, UK, on Feb. 4, 2025. (The Epoch Times) — Tom Poole attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, UK, on Feb. 4, 2025. The Epoch Times

Tom Poole, an ophthalmologist for the National Health Service, had many good comments about the evening’s performance.

“It’s been a great show so far. Really enjoyed it. Very, very colorful and very skillful dancing,” he said. “I thought [the dancing] was lovely. Vibrant, enthusiastic, lots of energy, and great fun.”

Shen Yun tells stories of myth and legend from the divinely inspired culture of ancient China that most people are not aware of. “It was nice knowing about parts of China that I didn’t know about; the historical aspects of the show, also really interesting, going back 5000 years,” Mr. Poole said.

“That was really good. ... It’s really inspiring from a European audience point of view. I don’t know that much about Chinese history, so it’s really interesting,” Mr. Poole said.

He said stories of China’s past moved him. “To know that the culture has been part of Chinese culture for such a very long time, almost so long; you can’t even imagine how long that is on this planet, and how it stretches back way into history. And so I’m sure there’s something we can learn from that,” Mr. Poole said.

Some stories were told of modern China where personal belief is persecuted and suppressed by the communist regime.

“The rather sadder themed story of the torture. That was obviously a very serious matter to think about. But it kind of was a good counterpoint to some of the more joyful dances,” he said. “I thought that brought a lot of interest—which surprised me, but very interesting.”

Shen Yun is based in New York where dancers are trained in classical Chinese dance, as Shen Yun cannot be shown in China. “That was really interesting. To hear about the roots of Shen Yun in New York, was that was quite interesting because I didn’t know that,” Mr. Poole said.

Shen Yun’s live orchestra caught Mr. Poole’s attention. “Music was lovely, and we could see the orchestra. It was great to hear the different instruments that you wouldn’t necessarily hear in a European-type orchestra. That was excellent,” he said.

Mr. Poole said he would remember one thing after leaving the performance. “My takeaway is it’s a midweek show, and I’ve come straight from work, but it’s a really vibrant, uplifting, and very colorful show, so really inspiring, and just brings a smile to your face,” he said.

“I think the beauty of it, the energy of the dancing, and the synchronization of everything perfectly together, and that’s been really nice to see,” he said.

He noticed “not only the tumbling and the acrobatics but also just the energy of both the girl and boy dancers. You’re really able to demonstrate the dancing through their bodies in such a beautiful way,” Mr. Poole said.

If he had to describe Shen Yun to family and friends, Mr. Poole would say, “If you want a really uplifting show, come and see it.”

To the artist performers, Mr. Poole said, “I'd say they’ve obviously trained really, really hard, and I would say that I really appreciate the show they’ve given us tonight. ‘And well done for all that hard work training.’ It really pays off, because they’ve delivered a great show. So, ‘well done’ to them.”

Airline Captain Impressed With Shen Yun Dancers’ Physical Skills

Matthijs Maarleveld attended Shen Yun Performing Arts on February 4 at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, UK. (NTD) — Matthijs Maarleveld attended Shen Yun Performing Arts on February 4 at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, UK. NTD

Airline captain Matthijs Maarleveld said: “The overall impression is very positive, I must say. I didn’t quite know what to expect when we first came here. But I’m loving the colors, I’m loving the dance.”

The dancer’s physical training impressed Mr. Maarleveld. “It’s far beyond my scope and reach of athleticism. But it’s very impressive. Very impressive,” he said.

Shen Yun tells stories of China’s past and present that cannot be seen in China today. Mr. Maarleveld said he had not seen this before. There were “a whole lot of different cultures and areas. I must admit I visited China a few times. But I’ve not been presented with this level of culture. So it’s very, very nice to see the different dances and different er stories.”

He said he would describe Shen Yun to others as: “Very musical. A lot of dance that we’ve not been familiar with. Very colorful. The music absorbs you in the story. It’s very lovely.”

And to the artists, he would say: “Fantastic job. And thank you very, very much for a very exciting evening.”

Reporting by Jenna, Bao, NTD, and Yvonne Marcotte.

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