SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Dancer Praises Shen Yun’s Precision and Beauty

Mar 09, 2026

3/9/2026Updated: 3/9/2026

LAS VEGAS—Laryssa Bowden surprised Lukas Sliwka with tickets to Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 8.

“I’m glad that this group is doing these performances because someone has to,” expressed Mr. Sliwka, who works in IT.

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.

Ms. Bowden sees performances at the Smith Center often. She expressed that Shen Yun is unlike anything she’s seen before.

Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“Everybody is on point. I’m a dancer. That’s what I look at. Everybody’s in the right spot at the right time,” observed Ms. Bowden.

The costumes and beauty of the Water Sleeves dance struck Ms. Bowden.

“Water Sleeves stood out to me the most because it’s so unique.”

Although Shen Yun is sharing the beauty of Chinese culture with the world, Shen Yun is unable to perform in China.

“That’s crazy,” Mr. Sliwka said. He was in disbelief that a performance like Shen Yun could be censored in China.

“I’m glad the Smith Center has [Shen Yun] because we come here for a lot of shows,” Ms. Bowden said.

Shen Yun’s use of its digital backdrop is patented. The versatility of the technology allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.

“The integration with the big screen behind, that was pretty fun. I’ve never seen that before,” Mr. Sliwka said.

Mariana Amero, (R) with her aunt and uncle, Mercedes Amero and Rick Ricker, at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 8, 2026. (Linda Jiang/The Epoch Times) — Mariana Amero, (R) with her aunt and uncle, Mercedes Amero and Rick Ricker, at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 8, 2026. Linda Jiang/The Epoch Times

Rick Ricker, Mercedes Amero, and Mariana Amero were also in the audience for this matinee performance.

“It’s awesome. Really beautiful. The costumes are exquisite. And the precision of the movements, they’re so good. You can see the training, you can see the art in there. It’s amazing. I’ve been loving it,” said Ms. Amero, an actress and ballet dancer.

Shen Yun’s website states that Classical Chinese dance training includes three main components—technical skill, form, and bearing, which is one of the many ways that classical Chinese dance is different from ballet.

“The athleticism of the dancers is fantastic. The combination of art with fantastic athletes and of course, the costumes are to die for—incredibly impressive,” said Mr. Ricker, a retired real estate developer.

Aside from classical Chinese dance, Shen Yun’s artists are also trained in various Chinese ethnic and folk dance styles.

Shen Yun’s Mongolian dance reminded Mr. Ricker and Mercedes of their past trip to Mongolia.

“The artists put everything out there; they devote their entire life to give us a little moment in our days to watch something that beautiful. Knowing that they spend their entire life doing this is so amazing,” Ms. Amero said.

Reporting by Linda Jiang and Maria Han.

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