SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘It’s Magnificent’: First-Time Audience Members in Amnéville Share Shen Yun Experience

Dec 19, 2025

12/19/2025Updated: 12/19/2025

AMNEVILLE, France—Shen Yun Performing Arts kicked off its 2026 world tour at Galaxie Amnéville Dec. 18. Among those in attendance were business owner Jean-Claude DeMarco and IT consultant Sylvie Schultz.

Though they had no prior experience with Chinese culture, the friends were intrigued by Shen Yun’s vibrant TV advertisements and decided to take a leap of faith. The performance was everything they hoped it would be.

“It’s magnificent. I love it when the women dance; it looks like they’re flying across the stage. The music is really beautiful and pleasant,” Ms. Schultz said.

She especially enjoyed the Water Sleeves dance and was struck by the contrast between the female and male dancers on stage. “There’s a lot of delicacy in the women, and with the men, it’s a bit more about power,” she shared.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company dedicated to reviving China’s rich culture, nearly lost under decades of communist rule. Its performances feature a series of dances highlighting various regions of China, along with solo musical pieces.

Ms. Schultz was also pleasantly surprised by Shen Yun’s live orchestra, which accompanied each dance. “We had a great seat, and the orchestra is fantastic,” she said. “We hadn’t realized there would be an orchestra so close when we booked.”

Using classical Western orchestration as the foundation, Shen Yun’s original compositions highlight traditional Chinese instruments such as the two-stringed erhu and the pipa—an ancient Chinese lute. Bringing to its audience the best of both worlds. According to the company’s website, Shen Yun’s orchestra is the first in the world to combine ancient Chinese and Western instruments permanently.

For Mr. DeMarco, the most moving aspect of the performance was undoubtedly the dances. Though the traditional culture portrayed in the show is very different from his own, he noted that “dance is something universal.”

“It’s a language everyone understands,” he shared. “What I love most is feeling the emotions [of the dance.] When you can convey that, that means it’s successful ... I’m connected with the performers.”

Reporting by Fan Yi and Jennifer Tseng.

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