Former Police Lieutenant and Wife Praise Shen Yun’s Extraordinary Artistry
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Former police lieutenant Jeff Lewis (right) and his wife, Cindy Lewis, attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the The Plaza Theatre in El Paso, Texas, on March 14, 2026. Sonia Wu/The Epoch Times
EL PASO, Texas—“The artistry is amazing, the costumes are stunning, and the dancing is phenomenal. You can tell they’ve put a lot of work and effort into what they do,” said Jeff Lewis after watching Shen Yun Performing Arts. His wife, Cindy Lewis, said the performance allows viewers to “connect to the spiritual.”
The couple attended the Shen Yun North America Company performance at The Plaza Theatre in El Paso on March 14. As first-time viewers, both appreciated how the performance offered not only artistic enjoyment but also cultural and spiritual inspiration.
The couple praised Shen Yun’s costuming and visual effects. They were particularly impressed by the innovative digital backdrop, which Mr. Lewis described as “amazing.”
“It really brings everything together. The transitions are really cool too,” he said.
Shen Yun’s state-of-the-art animated backdrops complement and synchronize with the live dancers and orchestra. This seamless coordination often draws appreciation from the audience.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis also lauded the performers’ skill. Mr. Lewis described the dancers as “incredible, elegant, graceful ... just really, really fun to watch.”
Shen Yun artists are trained in classical Chinese dance—one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world. Renowned for its profound expressive power, this ancient art form enables performers to vividly portray stories from Chinese history, literature, as well as the rich tapestry of myths and legends that have shaped the civilization for millennia.
Through these dance dramas, audiences are transported across different eras and tales. Among the many programs, Mr. Lewis’s favorite was the story of the Monkey King, which he found “really entertaining,” while Mrs. Lewis particularly enjoyed the ladies’ Water Sleeves dance, praising it as “beautiful.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun is on a mission to present “China before communism” and to revive people’s connection with 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture.
Mr. Lewis said he valued this mission, emphasizing the importance of learning about different cultures and belief systems, and understanding what people value and believe. Mrs. Lewis, a retired educator, added that performances like this also allow audiences to form a deeper connection with the spiritual.
The performance also depicted the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners under the Chinese Communist regime. Mr. Lewis described these scenes as “shocking,” while Mrs. Lewis said they were “sad” and expressed admiration for those who bravely resisted oppression: “The courage of the people fighting or going against the power—those people are truly moving.”
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a spiritual discipline and meditation practice with moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It rapidly gained widespread popularity in China during the 1990s. However, the Chinese Communist Party—afraid of the faith’s influence—began a campaign to persecute Falun Gong practitioners in 1999.
Mr. Lewis emphasized that awareness of these issues is important for Americans. “I hope a lot of American people are aware of this, because it’s still happening,” he said.
