PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Artist Valentino Vazquez said he felt a kind of energy “that was hard to put into words” when he watched a dance program this Saturday evening at The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts.
It was energy “converted into incredible emotion,” he told The Epoch Times of Shen Yun Performing Arts, which showcases “5,000 years” of Chinese culture through classical Chinese dance.
It opened with the tale of creation and the Creator, who descended to the world with an armada of deities to lay the foundation of culture in China. It continued with legends and heroes, such as the fabled Monkey King, and ethnic dances, before finally revealing a troubled present-day.
“It was magnificent. It almost brought me to tears because of the incredible colors,” Mr. Vazquez said. “Everything was first class. It was truly an unbelievable experience. I would highly recommend it to anybody.”
The Duquesne University Music School graduate said that, although he’s a performer, he’s “never seen anything like it” and was “honored and overjoyed to see such a wonderful performance by Chinese American people.”
As a musician, though, he was captivated by the sounds of Shen Yun’s live orchestra.
“The musicianship was world-class,” he said, adding that this was his first encounter with the two-stringed erhu, essentially a Chinese violin with extraordinary range and depth. “I did not know anything about that instrument,” he said.
Shen Yun’s orchestra blends both Western and Chinese instruments—including the pipa, the erhu, and the gong.
“Bravo,” Vazquez said. “Your musicianship is first class. I can only hope that one day, I can see everybody again.”
Now celebrating its 20-year anniversary, Shen Yun was launched by Chinese expats who suffered from religious persecution in China and who sought freedom of expression in America. The training grounds for Shen Yun’s dozens of classical Chinese dancers are stationed in upstate New York. When they’re not gearing up for next year, they’re touring the world. But because of the company’s religious background, they’re banned from showing in mainland China.
Shen Yun’s performances have, nevertheless, become a cherished tradition for many families across the United States.
Donna and Sam Reed attend Shen Yun at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh on March 21, 2026. Lily Sun/The Epoch Times
“This is our third year coming, so we’re hooked,” Donna Reed, a dental assistant, told The Epoch Times from the theater.
She said she “absolutely” felt energy from the stage.
“It’s just beautiful to watch, I love it,” her husband, Sam Reed, an accountant, said. It’s “just a shame” it cannot be performed, “where it originated from and where it’s oppressed.”
“I think it’s great that they can do that here, it shows the positive side [of Chinese culture] because most people look at China and they just see the problems,“ he added. ”It’s a great cultural outreach.”
Jackie and Danny Griffith, as well as their young daughter, Alivia Griffith, watched Shen Yun at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh on March 21, 2026. Lily Sun/The Epoch Times
Jackie Griffith, a neurotherapist, saw Shen Yun for the first time with her 8-year-old daughter, Alivia, and her husband, Danny Griffith. Alivia said she loved watching the ancient myths, especially with the Monkey King and the fountain of youth in the form of magic peaches.
“That guy ate the peach that was so large that he turned into a baby,” she said, laughing, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.
“She loved it,” Mrs. Griffith said of her daughter. “It’s wonderful it can perform here, but it’s sad to think they’re pretty much exiled in China.”
Mr. Griffith, also a neurotherapist, added, “The music is great; anyone would enjoy this.”
He was particularly impressed by Shen Yun’s state-of-the-art animated backdrop and how the dancers onstage seemed to launch off the stage and magically fly into a mythical panorama.
This patented Shen Yun visual effect whisks audiences into cloud-strewn mountains and ancient palaces, travelling through time and space like magic.
“There definitely was positive energy,” Mrs. Griffith said of the performance.
