SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Artists Are ‘Very Courageous,’ Says Australian Singer-Songwriter

Feb 28, 2026

2/28/2026Updated: 2/28/2026

GOLD COAST, Australia—Singer and songwriter Chris Brady attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee on Feb. 28 at the HOTA Home of the Arts. The sold-out performance marked the company’s fourth of six consecutive shows at the venue.

Although it was only intermission, with many more stories and dances yet to unfold, Mr. Brady had already fallen in love with the beauty and depth of traditional Chinese culture as presented by Shen Yun.

“Amazing. I love the dancing,” he said. “I love the message … and the stories that they tell—the Monkey King. I think it’s excellent.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance and music company. Presenting a brand-new set of programs each year, the company has been delighting audiences around the world since 2006.

China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Its 5,000 years of history are filled with legends and rich traditions. Yet, within just a few decades following the rise of the Chinese Communist Party, this magnificent culture was destroyed.

As atheism spread, belief in the divine was suppressed, and the moral values rooted in Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were pushed aside. Today, Shen Yun seeks to revive this lost heritage and bring back the beauty of China before communism.

As a musician, Mr. Brady was especially intrigued by the live orchestra that accompanied the dances.

“The music was beautiful. Nice traditional Chinese style, I love it,” he said. “It’s as beautiful as the dancing and the costumes—they just worked very well together. It’s excellent.”

According to the company’s website, Shen Yun’s original compositions use classical Western orchestration as a foundation to highlight traditional Chinese melodies and instruments. It is the first orchestra in the world to successfully and permanently combine the best of Eastern and Western musical traditions.

Mr. Brady was also deeply moved by the story-based dance that raised awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing persecution of Falun Dafa—a peaceful meditation practice whose followers strive to live by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

The piece was all the more meaningful to him after learning that many of Shen Yun’s founding members had fled to America to escape persecution.

Mr. Brady believes that, regardless of ethnicity, people everywhere need to reconnect with their roots and live with stronger faith in the divine.

“I agree very much with the [principles] of Falun Dafa, and I understand the difference between the communists and the more spiritual people. It’s not only a problem in China, it’s a problem all around the world,” he shared.

“We deal with this problem every day. It’s a story that needs to be told more and more, because it’s a universal problem.”

Last but not least, he commended Shen Yun’s artists for their courage in speaking out about their beliefs.

“It’s excellent. It’s very courageous,” Mr. Brady said. “It can be hard at times, so [the performance is] a very valuable thing to experience and to encourage, and to continue to support.”

Reporting by Steve Xu 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.