SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Fashion Designer at Shen Yun: ‘When the Curtains Went Back, I Gasped. It Was Unbelievable’

SHARE
Fashion Designer at Shen Yun: ‘When the Curtains Went Back, I Gasped. It Was Unbelievable’
Caroline O'Donnell-Teelan at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Eventim Apollo on Jan. 15, 2026. NTD
Epoch Newsroom
Updated:
LONDON, UK—Caroline O'Donnell-Teelan, a fashion designer and antiques dealer, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan. 15 at Eventim Apollo.

“When the curtains went back, I gasped. It was unbelievable. My mother suggested it, to myself and my sister, to come. So we came, no expectations. I loved it. We were almost disappointed when it ended. We need to come back. I loved it,” shared Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan.

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.

“I like to be exposed to different cultures and different beliefs. It gives you a bit more information and a bit more feeling about the ethics of everything. I really enjoyed that part of it,” Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan said.

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

“What we were saying to each other was, ‘they look like they’re floating.’ The amount of practice they must have put in was unbelievable. They are so in sync. I loved it,” Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan said.

Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan’s mother was also enjoying Shen Yun, and she found that the performance nourishes the soul.

“It really does you good. My mother sat beside me to my left, and in the middle of it, she was like, ‘This would do you good.’ This does your soul good. It’s quenching, I would say,” Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan shared.

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.

“There’s a lot of dedication there. And at the heart of it, I think they must love it. There must be such love and dedication, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. It touches us. We walk out of the building, and I think we take a piece of it with us, and it’s because of the amount of work they’ve put in,” Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan said.

The costumes in Shen Yun were designed by Shen Yun’s artistic director, D.F. The costumes are all designed to match the fashion worn throughout the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.

“Unbelievable. As a fashion designer, I’ve done a lot of work in the fashion industry. I really noted the colors, the flow, they were so soft, and they really complemented the movement,” Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan said.

The Shen Yun Orchestra, which tours with Shen Yun, is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble.
“It’s very overwhelming when you’ve got a live orchestra like that, it really does add to the performance,” Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan said.

She was surprised to see an orchestra in the orchestra pit.

“You actually have to take a moment to look at the orchestra. It is quite a huge orchestra. Pristine performance from the orchestra really enhanced the dancing. You really have to pinch yourself to remember that it’s not just being played over the performance. It’s actually an orchestra. It really adds to the experience,” Ms. O'Donnell-Teelan said.

Reporting by NTD 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.
SHARE

Editor's Picks

See More