SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Theatergoers Learn of the Suppression of Spiritual Belief at Shen Yun

Jan 12, 2025

LONDON—Shen Yun Performing Arts presented the audience with another performance at Eventim Apollo on Jan. 12. Talal Pasha and his daughter, Mariam, enjoyed the beauty and vitality of another culture brought to live on stage by Shen Yun.

Mr. Pasha, a banker, said, “I think the world was colorful.”

Ms. Pasha agreed. “It was very vibrant. It’s very beautiful.”

Shen Yun performances feature a patented 3D backdrop screen that allows the dancers to bring to life ancient myths and stories on stage, which Mr. Pasha enjoyed.

“It’s a nice mix of technology and acting and sounds. Very, very interesting.,” he said. “Usually, you don’t associate [an animated backdrop] with theater. But it’s very interesting to see how well they’ve mixed it.”

Shen Yun’s orchestra features a harmonizing of Eastern and Western instruments and accompanies each dance segment.

“It’s so amazing how they layer all of the instruments,” Ms. Pasha said.

Dances about modern China struck a chord with Mr. Pasha. Although Shen Yun is helping the world understand more about “China before communism” through its global tours each season, it is unable to perform in China, where it is banned due to its spotlighting the modern Chinese regime’s persecution of the spiritual self-cultivation practice Falun Dafa.

Practitioners of Falun Dafa continue to peacefully protest the current Chinese communist regime’s suppression of their faith in the free world.

As the emcees note during the performance, traditional Chinese culture—a divinely inspired culture that Shen Yun brings to life on stage—is also one that the current Chinese communist regime has worked to uproot through violent revolution ever since it took control of China in 1949.

“The thing I enjoyed the most is we live in front of the Chinese embassy, and so we always see the [Falun Dafa] protests outside. We’ve seen them for many, many years, and this is something we just learned now. We weren’t aware of this. So this was a very good message to bring out.” Mr. Pasha said.

Both enjoyed the dances, especially the water sleeves. Mr. Pasha said, “The water sleeves—that was just immense. Very, very interesting. I really enjoyed the way they use their sleeves and the way they tuck them in. It moves you and takes you all the way to China.”

Ms. Pasha agreed. “It was really lovely! It’s coordinated very, very well, how they have their lines, how you can just see. It’s just beautiful,” she said.

Mr. Pasha took note that Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture as it was before communism.

“I think they’ve done a very, very good job because, because it’s always more powerful when there’s a message inside the performance. ... Clearly, they can’t go back to China now because of what’s happening. So, it’s very, very interesting to see that they’re willing to do this, to sacrifice. And when you have that kind of sacrifice, it makes the performance a lot more powerful. That’s what I think.”

Reporting by Jenna 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.