Award-Winning Producer: Shen Yun Conveys a Beautiful Message to the World
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Award-winning film producer Raphael Avigdor attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J., on May 2, 2026. Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times
NEWARK, N.J.—Award-winning film producer Raphael Avigdor praised Shen Yun after attending a recent performance, calling it “a beautiful production” that presents “beautiful stories” and conveys “a beautiful message.”
On the evening of May 2, Mr. Avigdor attended the fifth performance by Shen Yun World Company at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
Reflecting on the performance, Mr. Avigdor described Shen Yun as a rewarding experience. “It’s a very beautiful show,” he said. “There’s an interesting message, and in that sense, it’s educational.”
Mr. Avigdor has directed and shot two narrative feature films and served as executive producer and producer on several feature-length documentaries. His work includes “The Man Who Saved the World,” which won an Academy Award in Denmark, and “Road Movie,” which received the Best Documentary award at the National Film & TV Awards in Los Angeles. He is also an accomplished photographer, with work exhibited in major art shows in New York and Miami. His work is represented by the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London.
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, dedicated to reviving 5,000 years of China’s divinely inspired heritage and sharing with audiences the beauty of “China before communism.”
Mr. Avigdor particularly appreciated the production’s visual and artistic elements. “I like the folkloric aspects. The dance is beautiful, the costuming is beautiful, and the staging—like the way performers move in and out of the backdrop—is a wonderfully creative way to tell the story. It transcends the limitations of traditional storytelling. It was very pretty.”
He also noted that the performance offered new insights into Chinese classical dance. “I didn’t know that many traditional gymnastic movements come from classical Chinese dance. I thought that was quite nice.”
As a producer and director, Mr. Avigdor said the experience sparked creative inspiration. “Everything in life is inspiration. Everything I see is always inspiration. It gets filed in the creative mind, and then one day—who knows?”
In closing, he expressed sincere admiration for the artists. “I congratulate them for the performance and the execution,” he said. “It takes hard work, many hours, probably starting from childhood. It’s very admirable.”
He added, “They present beautiful stories, and the message they convey is beautiful. Like all religions, they offer a positive message to the world.”
