SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Theatergoers Discover Much About China’s Traditional Culture at Shen Yun

Apr 04, 2025

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

DENVER—The audience was alive with excitement as the curtain opened for an all-new production of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Buell Theatre on April 3.

Steve and Claudette Kull enjoyed the dance performances of the legends and stories of ancient China.

Mr. Kull, retired executive vice president and general manager for a wine and spirits wholesale distribution company, said, “It’s been beautiful so far and entertaining but also educational,” when interviewed at the intermission.

Shen Yun depicts Chinese traditional culture as deeply connected with the divine, which intrigued Mr. Kull.

“It’s much different than what we understand it to be,” he said.

He said the scene where the Creator comes from the heavens to save humanity was “beautiful. I don’t think we understand that culture here because we know China as it is today.”

Mr. Kull discovered a great deal about ancient China from Shen Yun’s performance.

He learned about “[the Chinese] belief in a god and the way that their culture was forced to change through the Communist Party. That they have a history and a dedication to what it used to be. That there are Chinese, and we see that there’s people from Taiwan in the cast as well. So they’re dedicated to their culture and their history.”

“I think that it’s great for us as an American population to experience this and to see what took place in China during those times,” he said.

Mrs. Kull, a retired realtor, said, “I think it’s beautiful. I think the dancers are incredibly great.”

Shen Yun seeks to revive China’s 5,000 years of culture before communism. Unfortunately, the present communist regime is bent on suppressing this beautiful culture and persecuting practitioners of Falun Gong, which is dramatized in a dance.

But Mrs. Kull didn’t realize this story was based on true events. “It’s a very sad story, and the fact that people here don’t realize the freedoms we have,” she said.

She was unaware of how bad it is in China and agreed that Americans may appreciate the freedom they have in this country.

“It saddens me to know that China doesn’t have the freedoms to believe in God, and [the persecutors] will be punished,” she said.

Mr. Kull noted the artistry and skill of the performers, as well as the beautiful costumes.

“Very well done. The talent that’s on stage is exceptional. You can see that they really work at it and that they really are dedicated to their craft. From the music to the costumes to the performers, all are outstanding,” he said.

Mr. Kull said the stories are “very inspiring and informative. They move at a great pace and are easy to follow.”

The Kulls found Shen Yun inspiring.

When asked if he would recommend Shen Yun to others, he said, “Oh, absolutely. Yes. And children, too.”

Reporting by Sonia Wu 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.