SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is Doing ‘Beautiful, Powerful Work’: Jacksonville Theatergoer

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Shen Yun Is Doing ‘Beautiful, Powerful Work’: Jacksonville Theatergoer
Kyle Reyes at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 28, 2025. Kai Liang/The Epoch Times
Epoch Newsroom
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Kyle Reyes is an entrepreneur, and on Dec. 28, he brought his family of 6 to see Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.

“It was beautiful. I’m here with my wife and four little girls,” Mr. Reyes said, adding that his girls dance. “I was super excited for them to have that experience. ...  They were mesmerized the entire time. I’ve never seen my kids stay so focused during anything ever as they did today.”

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 think that they’re doing some beautiful, powerful work, inspiring people, waking up a younger generation to learn about the challenges that our entire world faces at the hands of the Communist regime right now. And I would encourage them to just continue to stay focused on the mission and keep moving forward. It’s a beautiful and powerful thing,” Mr. Reyes said.

When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power in China, it systematically tried to destroy and distort traditional Chinese culture through movements like the Great Cultural Revolution.

“I think encouraging people to find something bigger than themselves is always the first step in faith. I think atheism ... is sort of a plague and a cancerous poison. And it destroys cultures, it destroys traditional values, it destroys families, and it was beautiful to see the organization incorporate a strong message of faith,” he said.

Falun Dafa is a practice that teaches the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance. In 1999, the CCP began persecuting the peaceful followers of Falun Dafa. In Shen Yun’s performance, the audience can see how Falun Dafa practitioners are standing up for their faith despite persecution.

“I think we see persecution of people of all faiths right now across the world. I mean, we see it as you mentioned in China, we see Christianity being persecuted in other countries right now, and I think that good men and women have to stand firm in their faith and stand up and defend others in their faith journey as well,” Mr. Reyes said.

Shen Yun’s use of its digital backdrop is patented. The versatility of the technology allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.

“It was beautiful. It was very cool how there was that one scene where he transformed. It was like magic. I still can’t figure out how they did it. But it was great how they incorporated the live moments with the backdrop, very powerful,” Mr. Reyes said.

Shen Yun’s live orchestra is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble.
“It was incredible. The music was absolutely spectacular and impactful. It helps tell the story. It kind of reminded me of the early days of TV, right? Or in the early days of film, when it was that musical score that helped guide the story,” Mr. Reyes said.
Reporting by Kai Liang 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.
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