SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Lots of Hard Work and Discipline Go Into Shen Yun, Says Vancouver Theatergoer

Apr 12, 2026

4/12/2026Updated: 4/12/2026

VANCOUVER, Canada—Car dealership manager Derek Thebault and his wife, Chantelle, a homemaker, were mesmerized by the beauty of Shen Yun Performing Arts when they attended the company’s performance at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 11.

“It was great! Very, very talented performers; it’s good,” Mr. Thebault said as he exited the theatre. “My overall impression is that the athleticism of the performers, as well as how well it worked with the music—it was really well done.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.

According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles. Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest form—the way it was originally passed down through the generations.

Mr. Thebault also appreciated the short story-based dances, which depict tales spanning from ancient times to the present day. The company’s mission is to revive China’s 5,000-year-old divinely inspired culture that was largely destroyed following the communist takeover in 1949.

The stories “were interesting,” he said. “For me, it’s always interesting to hear other people’s beliefs and see their perspective and see the different takes on the nature of human beings.”

Mrs. Thebault, too, enjoyed the performance.

She particularly loved Shen Yun’s live orchestra that uses a classical Western orchestra as a foundation to highlight traditional Chinese melodies and instruments such as the two-stringed erhu and the pipa, an ancient lute.

“I love how beautiful the music and the dancing work together,” she said. “I loved seeing [and] hearing the traditional instrument. ... [The erhu] was fantastic.”

“The athleticism of the dancers, I loved the stories and learning [about different cultures, beliefs]. ... It was beautiful.”

Commenting on Shen Yun’s tenor who performed an original song in traditional bel canto style exploring the deeper meanings of life and spirituality, Mr. Thebault said, “It’s fantastic, for sure.”

“It’s always interesting to see other perspectives. They are important conversations to have, especially in the world today, people tend to choose to get offended by people’s views,” he added.

“I think it’s really important ... to be able to share them and understand different people’s perspectives.”

Summing up the evening, Mr. Thebault said Shen Yun “is a wonderful production.”

“Definitely worth seeing,” he said. “I really, really enjoyed the performance. They’re very talented performers ... lots of hard work, lots of discipline goes into it. I love the creativity.”

Reporting by Jane Yang 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.