SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Senator Presents Freedom Medals to Shen Yun Artists

Apr 16, 2026

4/16/2026Updated: 4/16/2026

PHILADELPHIA—Senator Doug Mastriano saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 16, 2026, at Miller Theater.

“This is our first time, and, wow, what an amazing presentation. I think it shows us how important it is to preserve culture and freedom. The show really brought out how important and rich Chinese history is, but freedom has to be secured,” Mr. Mastriano said.

During a visit to see Shen Yun this season, the Senator presented eight Pennsylvania Freedom Medals to eight Shen Yun artists who were direct victims of persecution in China or have family members who have been persecuted.

Musicians, Yutong Kong, Jia Hui Yang, Kexin Zhou, and Liaokuo Fang and dancers, Minghui Yu, Kenji Kobayashi, Xiuxian Yin, and Jiheng Zhao receiving the Pennsylvania Freedom Medal from Senator Doug Mastriano. (NTD) — Musicians, Yutong Kong, Jia Hui Yang, Kexin Zhou, and Liaokuo Fang and dancers, Minghui Yu, Kenji Kobayashi, Xiuxian Yin, and Jiheng Zhao receiving the Pennsylvania Freedom Medal from Senator Doug Mastriano. NTD

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.

“It’s interesting to me that the regime in China right now does not want to remember its history, 5,000 years of amazing history. And that’s really heartbreaking to me. So thank you for being a light in the darkness there and preserving that beautiful part of Chinese history and culture,” Mr. Mastriano said.

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

Mr. Mastriano shared that he really enjoyed the dance, “Peacock Paradise.”

“It was amazing—the scene opens up, and you’re in the clouds. It’s just incredible. So I walk away with a lot of hope and joy because there’s so much history here and the people love their culture,” he said.

Audience members often comment that Shen Yun’s dancers exhibit great skill in gymnastics or acrobatics, but Shen Yun’s website tells us that the techniques seen in the performance actually originate from classical Chinese dance.

“I had no idea that the acrobatics were actually [from] traditional Chinese dance. You think modern dance is more gymnastics, and it’s amazing,” Mr. Mastriano said.

Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance to portray the modern true story of Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted for their faith in China. Falun Dafa is a peaceful practice that teaches the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.

“It needs to end. The regime in China right now is going after followers of Falun Dafa, they’re going after Christians, going after everybody,” Mr. Mastriano said.

“It’s really shocking and heartbreaking. And Americans need to see that. We take our freedom for granted. We wake up every day, and we’re free people. And around the world, there’s countries where it’s just not so,” he added.

Shen Yun’s singers are trained in bel canto technique, and the digital backdrop provides a translation of the Chinese text being sung.

“The last song was interesting to me because it talked about how deceptive atheism and evolutionary theory is. Everything that the CCP is built upon is denying faith, denying God, denying your culture, and tearing down the culture and the beliefs and the history and trying to create a new one, a fake one,” Mr. Mastriano 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.