SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Painter From Cuba Loves Traditional Chinese Culture

Mar 09, 2026

3/9/2026Updated: 3/9/2026

LAS VEGAS—Joan Rodriguez saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 8.

“It feels beautiful. I love Chinese culture. I follow Chinese culture,” shared Mr. Rodriguez, a painter.

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.

“I feel that [Shen Yun] is great for the people to learn about the history of China,” said Mr. Rodriguez, adding that this includes the history of the Chinese Communist Party and its impact in China.

Coming from a communist country himself, Mr. Rodriguez felt the dance portraying the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners resonated with him.

“We are originally from Cuba. We know the communists. We had to go far away to escape the communists, and we know what the communists do,” he said.

He thought that Shen Yun’s use of dance to expose the crimes of the Chinese Communist Party was “incredible.”

“We have experienced communism. For that reason, we feel strongly about the dance.”

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

“It was completely coordinated. It was a great performance. It was excellent. The movement and all the colors were incredible,” Mr. Rodriguez said.

Amongst all of the dances, Mr. Rodriguez found it difficult to pinpoint one that he liked best.

“[There were] so many best parts. I like the culture, I like the tradition, and the myths, too. I like the Monkey King, all the history, all the effects, you know, all the dancing—everything,” he said.

Craig Pretty at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 8, 2026. (Tina Deng/The Epoch Times) — Craig Pretty at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 8, 2026. Tina Deng/The Epoch Times

Craig Pretty and his family were also in the audience for this matinee performance.

“It’s amazing. It’s different from anything else I’ve ever seen. I like the colors and the way they do the flips. I find that really amazing,” said Mr. Pretty, an excavation contractor.

Mr. Pretty shared that he lives in Seattle. He was invited to see Shen Yun in Las Vegas by his father.

Shen Yun’s two Masters of Ceremony provide brief introductions for each piece so that even those who are unfamiliar with Chinese culture can follow along.

“The people come out and introduce [the next piece.] That was a good idea because it lets you know what they are doing in the next scene,” Mr. Pretty said.

Reporting by Linda Jiang, Tina Deng, 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.