SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Army Colonel Says Shen Yun ‘Is Amazing’

Feb 15, 2026

2/15/2026Updated: 2/15/2026

CYPRESS, Texas—The performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center in Cypress, Texas, delighted Col. Chris Masson and his wife Brandi on Feb. 14.

“It’s a really nice production,” Mr. Masson said. “We love the videography, we love the dance, and I just think the costumes were fantastic.”

Shen Yun, based in New York, is on a mission to present “China before communism” and revive people’s connection with 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture.

Mr. Masson, an officer in the U.S. Army, said he appreciated the spiritual aspect of the performance.

“We’re spiritual people as well,” Mr. Masson said. “It’s nice to think about your family that has passed on to be up in the heavens and be able to relate to them and see them again sometime.”

An audience favorite is the use of the digital backdrop that interacts with dancers as they jump in and out of the heavenly landscape.

“What I really liked is how they synchronized the video—the screen behind [the stage] with the action on stage,” Mr. Masson said. “I don’t know how they jump behind the stage, and the person goes into the screen. It’s amazing.”

He said he liked that Shen Yun reminds the audience of the richness of traditional Chinese culture and the common values it has with other cultures.

Mrs. Masson, an elementary school special education teacher, was happy with the Valentine’s Day experience.

“I think it’s fantastic. I love the costumes and the colors and learning about the culture and traditions. I actually didn’t know a lot of that, so it’s beautiful. I’m enjoying it,” she said.

She said she really appreciated “The Men’s Mongolian Ethnic Dance” and “Water Sleeves.”

“I can’t decide which one I like more. I’m familiar with Mongolia because we have friends that went to there for a while. That was a pretty neat dance. But the one where the women have their [sleeves]—I think it’s like a shawl in their hands—and they let go and then they get back,” Mrs. Masson said. “I’ve never seen anything like that. That was really cool.”

She said, “It’s hard because we’re so different here in America. We have such a wide variety of cultures and traditions. So to learn about one [culture] in more detail is helpful.”

“I also think, though, at the end everyone is [the same]. Whether you’re in China, whether you’re in the United States, we’re all people. So, the more you can understand and relate to each other as people, everyone wants a safe environment to live,” Mr. Masson said.

“People love socializing and spending time with their family. They hope that there’s an afterlife, afterwards where they can see their loved ones. I think there’s a lot of commonality even though cultures might be different,” he said.

Reporting by Sherry Dong 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.