SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Newark Audience Blown Away by Shen Yun: ‘People Have to Come See the Show’

Apr 30, 2026

4/30/2026Updated: 5/2/2026

NEWARK, N.J.—Tracey Polifka and George Polifka saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 30, 2026, at New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

“People have to come see the show. What you see on television, the commercials and things like that, they do it no justice. You have to be in the theater, you have to see it for yourself,” expressed Ms. Polifka, a communications and marketing manager.

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.

“To hear about the cultural and the religious side of [Shen Yun] brings it home to understand more about Chinese culture than I’ve ever known before,” Ms. Polifka said.

Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“I’m blown away by it all. I didn’t expect it to affect me the way it has. I think the way they’re out there, and their dancing style, and the energy that they put into that is just amazing. There’s no way I can dance like that anymore. But when I was a kid, I don’t think I could have achieved what I saw today. I am so glad that we came,” said Mr. Polifka, who is retired from an energy company.

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

“Spectacular, the way that the dancers come from the stage into the scenery and then back to the stage, it looks like it’s impossible. It is magical, because you’re [asking] how are they doing that? The dancers are just phenomenal,” Ms. Polifka said.

Ms. Polifka shared that she really enjoyed the Water Sleeves dance and the dance story, “How the Monkey King Came to Be.”

“The costumes, the colors, and the one where they did the water in the sky—it was just surreal. It just makes your heart race,” she said.

Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance to tell stories from China’s five millennia. Its dance stories also portray the modern true story of Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted for their faith in China. Falun Dafa is a peaceful practice that teaches the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.

“It’s kind of hard to put in words because you have to see the show. You have to see it to feel and understand the cultural, spiritual, and some of the oppression issues that they face. It’s just not something you would know about normally until you see the show,” Ms. Polifka said.

Reporting by Weiyong Zhu 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.