Rene Montgomery (3rd R) and Leunys Bonilla at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at The David H. Koch Theater on April 1. 2026. Yeawen Hung/The Epoch Times
NEW YORK—Rene Montgomery and Leunys Bonilla saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 1 at The David H. Koch Theater.
“It was beautiful. It was amazing. I’ve seen some of the traditional Chinese culture dances before. But I haven’t seen it to this scale, so that was really cool. It’s a really beautiful culture,” said Ms. Montgomery, a mental health generalist and social worker.
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.
“We like to get out in the community and really experience New York because everyone calls New York home. So it’s cool to see the different cultures,” Ms. Montgomery said.
She shared that New York is a cultural melting pot. She and her friends like to honor the different cultures that live there.
Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“It was amazing. The way they synced up was beautiful. The stories they told, their ability to get their leg above their head, amazes me every day because I don’t know how people do that. It was really beautiful,” Ms. Montgomery said.
Chinese literature, along with Chinese history and legend, is a rich source of inspiration for Shen Yun.
Ms. Bonilla, a mental health generalist, shared that she really enjoyed the story of the Monkey King from the classic literature, “Journey to the West.”
Ms. Montgomery was particularly moved by the dance, “Peacock Paradise.”
“I like the dance when they were in the heavens, and the smoke rolled out, and they were dressed like peacocks,” she said.
Shen Yun’s website states that classical Chinese dance training includes three main components—technical skill, form, and bearing, which is one of the many ways that classical Chinese dance is different from ballet.
“I think that the performance was pretty awesome,” said Ms. Bonilla, adding that she was particularly impressed with the way each story was told with dance and music—not words.
The costumes in Shen Yun were designed by Shen Yun’s artistic director, D.F. The attire is historically appropriate to each dynasty being depicted and has often been described as the attire worn in the heavens.
“I love the designs of the dresses,” said Ms. Montgomery, adding that the way the costumes were incorporated into the dances was impressive.
