SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Artists Are ‘Super Talented’: Business Owner

Jan 10, 2026

1/10/2026Updated: 1/10/2026

MODESTO, Calif.—Business owner Mark Patterson and his wife, Kendra, a personal trainer, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts together on Jan. 9 at the Gallo Center for the Arts. The couple enjoyed every moment of the experience.

“Very good, very impressed. They’re super talented,” Mr. Patterson said. “I wasn’t expecting the amount of choreography, and how it’s all brought together.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance—an art form with a history spanning thousands of years, celebrated for its athleticism and expressive power. What many may not realize is that numerous tumbling techniques often associated with gymnastics and acrobatics actually originate from classical Chinese dance.

According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance seen in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern styles. Only at Shen Yun can the audience experience it in its purest form, preserved as it was passed down through generations.

Mesmerized by the beauty of the evening, Mrs. Patterson said the production was “elegant and smooth ... very precise.”

Although neither of them was familiar with traditional Chinese culture, the couple said they appreciated Shen Yun’s mission to share the spirituality and beauty of traditional culture in China before communism.

“We’re inspired by the culture, and it’s fascinating and educational,” Mrs. Patterson said.

Mr. Patterson said, as a Christian, he loved the inclusion of stories about the divine and resonated with the artists’ “faith and belief in God.”

“We have strong faith and strong belief, so [the spiritual element] was very good to hear,” he said.

However, due to Shen Yun’s focus on reviving traditional culture and presenting the truth of events under communist rule, it is currently forbidden by the regime from performing in China.

Mrs. Patterson said she was saddened by the oppression. She said she believed it was very important that the artists bring the ongoing human rights issues in present-day China to light.

“I think it’s fantastic. People need to be educated ... as far as what goes on over there,” she said.

To family and friends, Mr. Patterson said the performance had a “high level of talent and ... beautiful costumes, beautiful choreography.”

Reporting by Lily Yu and Jennifer Tseng.

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