Highly Trained and In Sync: Former Principal Ballerina Applauds Shen Yun
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Former principal ballerina Candice Houser attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Ill., on April 3, 2026. Nancy Ma/The Epoch Times
AURORA, Ill.—On the evening of April 3, Shen Yun Performing Arts presented its second performance at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Throughout the evening, the audience responded with frequent expressions of awe.
Aurora, the second-largest city in Illinois after Chicago, is part of the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Thanks to its convenient location, many audience members who missed the previous week’s performances in Rosemont traveled to Aurora to attend. Following a sold-out opening night on Thursday, the Friday evening performance was once again filled to capacity.
After attending the performance, former principal classical ballerina Candice Houser shared her impressions. “It was very good,” she said. “The dancers are very well trained, which was impressive.”
Ms. Houser, originally from Pennsylvania, trained in the Russian-Ukrainian ballet system and previously performed as a principal dancer with Spiritoso Ballet Company. She also danced at the Donetsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ukraine. Now based in Illinois, she works as a freelance dancer and guest artist across the United States, while also teaching dance.
Drawing on her professional background, Ms. Houser spoke highly of Shen Yun’s dancers. “They’re very well trained—very coordinated, very together,” she said. “What stood out was how unified they were, especially in their timing.”
She also praised the company’s technical level. “It was impressive how technically strong they are,” she said, and that both the male and female dancers demonstrated clarity and precision in their movements. “It was clean on both sides,” she said.
Ms. Houser further noted the choreography’s distinctive qualities. “I could see elements of Kung Fu,” she said. “There are a lot of elements that blend traditional Chinese dance with martial arts.”
The name Shen Yun means “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Headquartered in New York, the company is dedicated to classical Chinese dance—an ancient tradition celebrated as one of the world’s most comprehensive dance systems. With its extraordinary expressive power, this art form enables Shen Yun to vividly retell stories from China’s history, literary heritage, and its rich tapestry of myths and legends.
Ms. Houser marveled at the dancers’ costumes as well. “They were beautiful—very beautiful, very well made,” she said, adding that the designs complemented the performance seamlessly.
She also praised Shen Yun’s live orchestra. The ensemble is known for its unique blend of Eastern and Western instruments, a rare accomplishment. “They were very good,” she said. “You almost forget it’s a live orchestra, which is impressive—it’s that clean.”
She observed that Shen Yun’s uniqueness lies in its cultural authenticity. “It’s trying to stay true to traditional Chinese cultural dance,” she said. “It’s its own unique form—just like all traditional cultural dances are.”
Accompanying her to the performance, her husband also expressed admiration for the artists. “It was an absolutely stunning performance,” he said, noting that it was “vibrant with culture” and visually engaging.
