SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Music Teacher Says Shen Yun’s Music Touches Her Soul

Apr 19, 2026

4/19/2026Updated: 4/19/2026

PHILADELPHIA—The air in the Miller Theater buzzed with excitement as the curtain rose on Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 18.

The Skrzats, Mike and Katie, brought their family to enjoy Shen Yun. Mrs. Skrzat, a music teacher in a charter middle school, said, “The music was spot on. I almost forgot it was live musicians because everything was just perfect and it was just easy to listen to.”

It was the first time the family had seen Shen Yun perform. “It just gets to your soul,” Mrs. Skrzat said.

During the dance “Water Sleeves,” Mrs. Skrzat said she felt herself catching her breath as the dancers would throw their sleeves out as they moved. “It really caught me off guard in a very positive way,” she said.

Now that she’s seen Shen Yun, Mrs. Skrzat said, “I think bringing more Chinese culture and instruments into my music classroom is something that I feel I can do. Now that I’ve experienced this, I can bring it to my students.”

With her musical background, Mrs. Skrzat noted how music and dance go together. “As long as they’ve been in existence, they’ve always been in combination.”

Shen Yun’s orchestra features Eastern and Western instruments. Mrs. Skrzat said, “Just having the traditional Western instruments with the traditional Chinese instruments blending together for the beautiful storytelling was something that I’ve never seen before, and I hope to see again.”

Chinese civilization before communism has a history of spiritual values, which Shen Yun shares with audiences. Mrs. Skrzat said, “As a musician, anytime I hear music, especially a different form of music, it’s something that will always touch me as a musician.

“It speaks to my heart and speaks to my soul. It speaks to who I am and what I’ve dedicated my life to.”

She said she would heartily recommend Shen Yun to others. “Come see the beauty in the show, but come hear the music, too. I think I'll be going back and telling all my music teachers to come see the show,” she said.

Audience Member Says Shen Yun Changed How He Looks at Life

Bob and Gabrielle Brooks attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Miller Theater in Philadelphia, Pa., on April 18, 2026. (NTD) — Bob and Gabrielle Brooks attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Miller Theater in Philadelphia, Pa., on April 18, 2026. NTD

Bob and Gabrielle Brooks were entranced by many aspects of the performance. Mr. Brooks, a roofing contractor, was especially impressed with “The Steadfast Heart,” which tells of the persecution of practitioners of the Falun Dafa qigong practice.

“I think the most relevant one was the communism versus the free people of China,” he said. “It’s very unfair to people trying to be happy, civilized people, and being told that they can’t worship in a certain way.”

He said, “It kind of changed the way you look at life—just the history and the start of their freedom.”

The Brooks had high praise for Shen Yun. “It was wonderful. I would highly recommend it to anyone,” Mr. Brooks said.

Mrs. Brooks, a retired painter, said, “I love that the message is very spiritual. And I couldn’t help but smile the whole time. It was great, so well done.”

Reporting by NTD and Yvonne Marcotte.

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