PHILADELPHIA—The Miller Theater buzzed with excitement as the curtain rose on Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 19. Brenda Tate, a representative of Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony Williams, said, “The show was fantastic.”
Shen Yun is celebrating its 20th anniversary. “It was amazing. I’m so grateful to be part of 20 years. Your production started back in 2006 and here it’s 2026 performing in different cities besides just here in Philadelphia, which we are grateful,” she said. “This is my first time here at the show, and it won’t be my last.”
As part of Sen. Williams’s staff, she said, “I will tell the senator he really needs to come to the show to see it for himself. I think he would be impressed. He will also enjoy the artistry of the show because that’s something that he’s really into. I think the senator will really appreciate the opportunity to see such great performance.”
Many in the audience have reported a feeling of positive energy flowing from the dancers as they perform. “You do leave feeling energized. I think it’s more for me being appreciative of the culture that they share with the performance.”
“It’s the storytelling and I enjoyed it. I thought it was wonderful and am so appreciative to be part of here,” Ms. Tate said.
She appreciated the stories Shen Yun presented from 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Each year, the show presents all-new dances. This year had The Origin of the Monkey King, and The Legend of Master Zheng Guo Lao, which Ms. Tate especially enjoyed.
An audience favorite is the patented digital backdrop that interacts with the performers as they jump in and out of the magical landscape.
“What I love was how you had the screen where they look like they’re jumping out. I was blown away,” she said.
“It was amazing and colorful to go back in history to what they are right now. From the story with the monk, with the monkey [king], that was absolutely amazing.”
The Steadfast Heart is a dance dramatizing the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners that is still happening today. According to the program, “This contemporary story reflects the reality faced by countless people in China today. ... Falun Dafa practitioners could once be found in parks across China. But in 1999, the communist regime, fearing the practice’s popularity, launched a brutal campaign to wipe it out.”
Shen Yun performs all over the world but is banned in China. “I feel that our culture has went through a lot for freedom, [so that we] had a chance to live. This is something that performance was exactly what it was,” she said.
Shen Yun is based in Upstate New York and the performers are trained and live there. Many have come from China to practice Falun Gong freely. Ms. Tate said, “To escape from a country that did not appreciate the culture, to come here to United States, to show what they have now is a joy.”
She expressed her appreciation to the performers.
“You did a wonderful job. I mean, absolutely outstanding. Continue to do your best performing. Your creativity was just amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing all the artists again next year.”
