SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Painter and Glass Artist Love Shen Yun’s Dance

Feb 25, 2026

2/25/2026Updated: 2/25/2026

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Stephen Landford, a painter, and Patty Jolliff, a former teacher, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at Robinson Center on Feb. 24.

“What I think I love most about [Shen Yun] is the dance, the movement on stage,” Mr. Landford said.

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.

“It made me very interested. I didn’t know that Chinese culture dated back 5,000 years, and I thought that was fascinating,” Mr. Landford said.

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

“I noticed in particular how the women walk—they’re just like water,” Mr. Landford said, observing a technique that female dancers use in classical Chinese dance called yuan chang.

Audience members often comment that Shen Yun’s dancers exhibit great skill in gymnastics or acrobatics, but Shen Yun’s website tells us that the techniques seen in the performance actually originate from classical Chinese dance.

“There’s a certain leap that the [men] do where their legs trail the other as they go over, and I think that’s fascinating,” Mr. Landford continued.

Without speaking, Shen Yun’s dancers communicate through their movements. The expressive nature of classical Chinese dance makes it easy for audience members to follow the storyline.

“Obviously, so much of it is dance, and it doesn’t depend on understanding the language. There’s this commonality, this common sense of movement. And I was noticing things that transcend culture in terms of visual statements—when somebody’s proud, when somebody’s sad, when somebody’s in love—the dancers were able to convey that clearly.

The Shen Yun Orchestra, which tours with Shen Yun, is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble.

“I loved it. I thought that the cultural combination of the instruments enhanced the whole thing. It really did. The music was very important,” said Ms. Jolliff, who now makes glass art.

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

“I find it interesting where they were able to do the screen, and the people come down from the screen and pop off the screen, and all of a sudden, they’re on stage. It actually sort of ties the old and the new together,” Mr. Landford observed.

Reporting by Sherry Dong 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.