SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

There Is so Much Spiritual Energy in Shen Yun, Says Denver Theatergoer

Apr 07, 2025

4/7/2025Updated: 4/7/2025

DENVER—On April 6, Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded its final performance at the Buell Theatre. Among the audience was Laura Lasater, a former physician who is now transitioning into the field of holistic healing.

The matinee proved to be a deeply emotional experience for her, both visually and spiritually.

“I thought it was amazing. I wish I had been a little bit more prepared before I came because it was only towards the end that I realized how spiritual it was,” Ms. Lasater exclaimed.

“If I see it again, I feel like I want to be more [open to] receive it because there was so much spiritual energy.”

Endowed with 5,000 years of history, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For millennia, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and adhering to strict moral standards, they will be blessed by the divine.

However, after the communist takeover and the spread of atheism, all this traditional culture was systematically destroyed. Today, the New York-based artists’ mission is to bring back the beauty and goodness of pre-communist China.

The production consists of a series of short dance pieces and solo musical performances that explore the diverse regions and rich legends of traditional China. Ms. Lasater was deeply impressed by the depth of history and culture woven throughout.

“I enjoyed hearing about the history of it—the historical elements, and the clothing was gorgeous as well. … The beauty was heart-opening for me,” she stated. “The music was incredible.”

Ms. Lasater was captivated by Shen Yun’s live orchestra, which seamlessly blended classical Chinese and Western instruments—but what stood out most to her was the solo erhu performance.

“It’s amazing [what the artist] could do with two strings,” she expressed. “I’ve heard that instrument before, but I didn’t know what it was. Now that I know, I think I'll appreciate it even more.”

The erhu is a 4,000-year-old Chinese instrument that mimics the human voice. Though it only has two strings, it is capable of expressing a wide range of emotions, resonating with the profound depths of the human soul.

However, due to the artists’ commitment to presenting the truth of events and shedding light on ongoing human rights issues in present-day China, Shen Yun is banned by the Chinese Communist Party.

Ms. Lasater found the story-based dances that delved into these more serious themes heartbreaking to watch.

There’s “a lot of sadness for me that [Shen Yun] can’t be practiced in their own country, that they’re having to come to New York to learn how to dance their own dance,” she expressed.

“There’s some sadness around that. They’re exiled, and their own government doesn’t appreciate this. I don’t understand that.”

Ms. Lasater said she would be recommending Shen Yun to everyone she knows. Her advice to future audiences: “Next time [Shen Yun] comes, go early. Don’t wait until the last day.”

“I would go again if it were still showing, but this is the last day [in Denver.] I’m disappointed I’m going to have to wait another year.”

Reporting by Sonia Wu 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.