SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Professional Dancers Praise Shen Yun as Powerful, Lyrical, and Soulful

Jan 14, 2026

1/14/2026Updated: 1/14/2026

METAIRIE, La.—Shane Lecocq and his wife, Letizia Lecocq, are both ballroom dance instructors, and they saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan. 13 at Jefferson Performing Arts Center.

“It’s some of the most synchronized dancing I’ve ever seen. They are beautiful dancers, all of them. The colors are extraordinary. It’s a phenomenal show,” said Ms. Lecocq, who is also a Latin dance instructor.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

Both Mr. and Ms. Lecocq agreed that Shen Yun was “well rehearsed, very in sync, powerful, lyrical, and soulful.”

One of the many things that sets classical Chinese dance apart from ballet is the footwork. While ballerinas dance en pointe, female dancers of classical Chinese dance use small, quick steps called “yuan chang,” which gives the illusion of the dancer floating across the stage.

“What I love is the way the ladies move so like they’re floating on air,” Ms. Lecocq said.

Shen Yun is on a mission to present “China before communism” and to revive people’s connection to 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture.

“I think that it’s rare to see that in the arts. I think it’s important to know history,” Mr. Lecocq said.

Founded in New York in 2006, Shen Yun was established by elite artists who fled persecution by the Chinese Communist Party.

“I was actually very surprised because I thought [Shen Yun was] coming from China. So, reading the playbill and understanding that you’re in New York, we both have roots in New York, and just how the company has come together and what it’s all about is enlightening. It’s wonderful,” Ms. Lecocq 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 meditation practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

Mr. Lecocq believes that using art to raise awareness of the atrocities in modern China is effective.

“I think that’s usually the most visceral and profound way to do it … when the arts are telling the story, that’s where people look first. They look to the arts, whether it’s dance, opera, music, studio arts,” he said.

Reporting by NTD 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.