SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Psychology Professor Moved to Tears by Shen Yun: ‘Beautiful, Skillful, and Deeply Impactful’

Apr 04, 2026

4/4/2026Updated: 4/5/2026

SEATTLE—On the evening of April 3, psychology professor Leighann Morfitt of Pierce College and emergency medical technician Scott Morfitt attended a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle. Experiencing the performance together, the couple shared heartfelt reflections on what they described as a powerful artistic and cultural presentation.

Ms. Morfitt said she was deeply moved by every aspect of the performance. “I was blown away. It was beautiful, skillful, impactful. I loved every single performance,” she said.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, on a mission to revive 5,000 years of China’s divinely-inspired heritage and share with audiences the beauty of “China before communism.”

“I think it’s a beautiful tradition, and tonight really showcased that,” Ms. Morfitt said, “The traditional culture they presented would be wonderful for more people to learn about—I think it’s very important.”

She added that the performance gave her new insight into Chinese traditions, particularly their spiritual depth. “I learned more about the Chinese tradition than I had known before,” she said. “It showed what a devoted culture it is. It’s visually beautiful, but tonight, it also revealed a different, more spiritual perspective.”

For thousands of years, Chinese culture was deeply spiritual in nature. That changed only in recent decades with the rise of the Chinese Communist Party and its promotion of atheism.

Ms. Morfitt also expressed admiration for the live orchestra and the integration of music, dance, and vocal performances. “I was really impressed with the orchestra—and especially the singers together with the dancers,” she said. “I can’t even imagine how many hours of practice it took. Every layer of it—the orchestra, the dancers, the costumes—was beautiful.”

Ms. Morfitt described the performance as deeply moving on an emotional level. “It’s a very emotional show—very beautiful,” she said, noting that many moments brought her to tears. She also found its message uplifting: “I think it brings a lot of hope. The more people learn about it, the better things can become.”

Mr. Morfitt praised the performance as well, highlighting its cultural richness and expressive depth. “I really enjoyed the history it presented—the way it combined not just vocals, but music, different instruments, and cultural expression,” he said. “It’s amazing!”

From a broader cultural perspective, he noted the rarity of such experiences. “It’s great to experience something like this in the United States—something that, in some places, is really suppressed,” he said. “Understanding the history and how things have progressed through society is wonderful.”

Mr. Morfitt also commended the production’s structure and presentation. “They put on a great presentation,” he said. “The chronological aspect of how they presented everything was amazing.”

“I would recommend it to everyone to come and see it,” he said.

Reporting by Sunny Chen and Olivia Li.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.