FÜSSEN, Germany—Bathed in spring sunshine after days of cold and overcast weather, Füssen set a picturesque scene on April 8, as audiences gathered at the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein for Shen Yun Performing Arts’ second performance in the city.
Inside, the theater resonated with warm applause throughout the performance. The evening concluded with a prolonged standing ovation, prompting three curtain calls from the artists.
Sofie Kondratenko, a professional Latin dancer, was among those in attendance. She described the performance as both visually stunning and deeply moving.
“It was amazing—really a very, very beautiful experience,” she said.
Ms. Kondratenko is a professional Latin dancer who has won awards at various competitions. In April of this year, she and her partner took second place in the duo category at the World DanceSport Federation Latin Dance Open.
“It was unique. This kind of dance—you don’t see it everywhere. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was truly special, really beautiful.”
“It gave me goosebumps. Live music is something completely different from what we’re used to. It was an amazing, amazing experience—I would definitely do it again.”
“The costumes are beautifully made—wonderful materials, very, very sparkling. Really great.”
Beyond the technical elements, Ms. Kondratenko emphasized the dancers’ expressive power and the immersive quality of the storytelling.
“Their emotional expression was very genuine and very engaging—it really draws you in,” she said. “It was incredibly beautiful—the feeling the dancers conveyed, how authentic everything was. It was very, very captivating. You could understand every story clearly—you were right in the middle of it, truly experiencing it.”
“I remember all the stories—all of them,” she said. “I thought the endings were very, very beautiful. You really follow along with the story.”
She added that both dramatic and lighthearted pieces contributed to the overall experience.
“The story with the child and the two families being saved was very powerful,” she said. “And the humorous stories were also very enjoyable.”
Ms. Kondratenko strongly agreed with this mission.
“I think tradition is very, very important—and I believe without tradition, there is no future.”
She said the final piece, which contrasts traditional values with modern life, left a deep impression on her.
“It felt like a comparison between something truly traditional and today’s world,” she said. “It’s a bit sad that nowadays we’ve become more distant from our cultural roots—where we come from. Everything has shifted toward social media and superficiality, and away from inner values. That’s why I found it so meaningful.”
The final dance piece depicts the Creator descending to save humanity from peril, with a golden Dharma Wheel spinning and radiating light. Ms. Kondratenko said that in that moment, she felt happiness and carefree joy.
“It made me feel happy—just happiness, and a sense of lightness,” she said. “It was a feeling of being completely free and at ease—it wasn’t heavy at all.”
Reflecting on the experience as a whole, Ms. Kondratenko described it as both inspiring and something deeply meaningful.
“It was really, really beautiful—truly an inspiration,” she said. “It’s something you can long for—a longing for tradition and for that feeling of lightness.”
“Definitely—without a doubt.”
