SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘Very, Very Beautiful…People Should See This Show,’ Says Company VP

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Shen Yun Is ‘Very, Very Beautiful…People Should See This Show,’ Says Company VP
Philip Sokoloski enjoyed Shen Yun's matinee at the Dolby Theatre on April 7, 2024. Michael Ye/The Epoch Times

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Company Vice President Philip Sokoloski wasn’t sure what he was getting into when he purchased the ticket for Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee at the Dolby Theatre on April 7.

He was happy to find surprises and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the performance.

“I did not know exactly what to expect coming in. I knew that dancing was a big part of it but I did not expect to get such an education on Chinese cultural tradition—it was something unexpected and delightful about the show. [Chinese history] is a flourishing culture that we learn too little of here in the West,” he said.

“This is something I’m very glad to have done. We were curious about it. We indulged that curiosity and were rewarded for that.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. The artists’ dream is to bring back China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture that had been destroyed by decades of communist rule.
Presenting a brand-new set of dance pieces, musical compositions, and solo performances each year, Shen Yun is sharing with the world the glory of China before communism.

“Some of the performances, in particular, were very, very beautiful. The dances and the moves are very intricate. The performers are very skilled. Just to watch these creative people come together—the musicians and the performers—you see just how rich and wonderful this culture is to bring it forward in this way,” he expressed.

“The background was very interesting. I saw that there was a patent on it. Using it in the storytelling was pretty unique. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

According to its website, Shen Yun’s patented 3D digital technology works together with the performers to “extend the stage to infinite realms” and brings to its audience “storytelling without limits.”
He fully supports the company’s mission to revive traditional Chinese values like truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, and views them as universally important principles.

“I think many different cultures approach similar ideas in different ways,” he expressed. “It’s nice to hear of their ancient origin in the East—in China.”

Mr. Solowski was also impressed by Shen Yun’s “blend of the Western and Eastern musical traditions in the orchestra pit.”

“It was very fascinating. The solo performance— [the erhu] was an extraordinary instrument. I had no idea there was such a thing that could make such sounds.”

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.

The message Mr. Sokoloski will be bringing home with him from the Shen Yun is that “people should see this show.”

“They should come to appreciate the beauty of this culture and learn in a way that you may not get through the news,” he said.

Reporting by Michael Ye 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.
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