‘It Brings You Happiness’: Shen Yun’s Classical Chinese Dancers Rekindle Ancient Culture in Phoenix
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Christopher Hansen and his wife, Annette, attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 6, 2026. Lily Yu/The Epoch Times
PHOENIX—The dancers sparked joy onstage when Christopher Hansen, a retired U.S. Army major, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at Symphony Hall on Friday night.
Ablaze in costumes inspired by ancient divinities, the New York-based dance company retold legends from China’s past through the artform they’re world-famous for: classical Chinese dance.
“It’s art, it’s culture, it’s something that improves the soul and the spirit, and it’s just beauty in front of you in motion,” Mr. Hansen said following the performance. “It brings you happiness and tranquility and joy—yes, joy’s a great word.”
Shen Yun is “willing to stay true to the history and to be able to provide it worldwide,“ Mr. Hansen said. ”It’s priceless. Tradition is something that’s sacred. It’s something that needs to be cherished and something that needs to be celebrated.”
Now 20 years old, Shen Yun has striven to showcase “China before communism” and a culture that was “almost lost” in theaters across the globe. However, because it was founded by adherents of the Falun Dafa meditation practice, which is being persecuted in China, the artist group isn’t allowed to perform in their ancestral homeland. Shen Yun also portrays scenes from modern-day China onstage, depicting through dance the persecution of Falun Dafa, an expressive act that the Chinese Communist Party can’t tolerate.
Classical Chinese dance is deeply rooted in Chinese history and culture, dating back thousands of years. Its highly expressive gestures allow the dancers to tell stories with rich meaning without words. It’s also extremely acrobatic, featuring high-flying leaps and tumbling moves.
“It’s fantastic,” said Sandy Williams, who watched the performance with her husband on Friday night. “The movements—I don’t even understand how they make them. It’s a fabulous show.”
Sandy Williams and her husband, Scott, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at Symphony Hall in Phoenix on March 6, 2026. Jane Yang/The Epoch Times
Ms. Williams found the costumes “brilliant.” Shen Yun’s designers take painstaking care in researching ancient attire and motifs and presenting authentic culture.
Through showcasing ancient legends, such as the tale of creation, and mythical heroes, like the famous Monkey King, Shen Yun is trying to revive moral values and a spirituality that hasn’t flourished in China in over 70 years.
“The way the story’s told, it’s very, very unique,” Ms. Williams said. “I haven’t seen anything like it before.”
Reporting by Lily Yu, Jane Yang, and Michael Wing.
