SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Actor and Singer Says Shen Yun Is Number One

Apr 05, 2026

4/5/2026Updated: 4/5/2026

NEW YORK CITY—Donnell Cooke, actor and singer, surprised his wife, Deborah, with tickets to see Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater for their first time on April 4.

“I told her I was coming here for an audition … I brought her here to see it, and she was shocked,” he said.

Mrs. Cooke said she had wanted to see the performance after seeing the commercials on television, and she was pleasantly surprised with Shen Yun’s “storytelling” and the “messaging.”

“So, just from the commercial, I didn’t put together what it was all about,” she said. “But I knew I wanted to see it … [and] it was wonderful, I enjoyed it so much.”

“It was much more than dancing,” Mr. Cooke said. “There was a storyline to it … [and] a lot that you can get from this.”

Now celebrating their 20-year anniversary, Shen Yun is the world’s leading classical Chinese dance production. The performance presents story-based dances that depict heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales spanning 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.

As a musician, Mr. Cooke appreciated Shen Yun’s live orchestra and virtuoso soloists.

The company’s one-of-a-kind orchestra blends traditional Chinese instruments into a classical Western orchestra, with ancient Chinese instruments such as the two-string erhu and the pipa leading the melody. Shen Yun also boasts bel canto singers.

“The orchestra was great … the soprano singer … the piano player, all of them [were] great,” he said.

Expressing his admiration for Shen Yun’s artistic director, Mr. Cooke said, “It was a beautiful job.”

“Number one out of all that I’ve seen so far … I loved everything he did,” he added.

Based in New York, the company strives to revive the traditions of China’s nearly-lost heritage by demonstrating “China before communism.” The age-old culture has been on the brink of extinction since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seized power in 1949.

While Mr. Cooke was amazed by the costumes, dancing, and music, he was inspired most by Shen Yun’s storytelling.

To illustrate the distinction between traditional Chinese values and those propagated by the CCP, the company presents a dance-drama depicting the persecution of Falun Dafa, a meditation discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a persecution campaign against the spiritual practice, and adherents have since been subjected to unprecedented imprisonment, torture, and abuse.

“I loved the storyline … and how they overcome the persecution,” he said, “It touched my soul and my heart,” Mr. Cooke said.

“I think the impact should bring us to … love everyone,” he added. “You reap what you sow. If you do bad, you’re going to get bad back.”

Since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006, the company has grown from one to eight equally large companies that tour the world simultaneously. Despite all of the countries and cities Shen Yun has performed, they are still not allowed in China. It is only outside of China, through dance, music, and legends, that Shen Yun has sparked a cultural renaissance.

“I think everybody should see this … it’s needed for all to see,” Mr. Cooke said.

Reporting by Sally Sun and Jennifer Schneider.

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