SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Cheered Everybody up and Left Such a Positive Memory’

Mar 30, 2026

3/30/2026Updated: 3/30/2026

MINNEAPOLIS—Steven Schussler and his wife, Sunhi Schussler, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on March 29 at the Orpheum Theatre.

“It was such a beautiful performance that really cheered everybody up and left such a positive memory,” said Ms. Schussler, a vice president of sales and marketing.

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.

Mr. Schussler shared that he liked Shen Yun’s inclusion of “past and present” China. “The combination of both was impressive.”

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

“What inspired us was the dress code, the music, the culmination of every dance, and just the culture in general was phenomenal,” said Mr. Schussler, chairman at Schussler Creative.

Shen Yun’s two Masters of Ceremony provide brief introductions for each piece so that even those who are unfamiliar with Chinese culture can follow along.

“MCs—they did a great job,” Mr. Schussler said.

“It helped [to have] the overview of the Chinese cultureand the story. And we love that it was in both English and in Chinese,” Ms. Schussler said.

With 5,000 years of history and literature to draw from, Shen Yun is able to put on an all-new production every year.

“I am a Buddhist, and I do practice Feng Shui. So the show was very meaningful for me. I loved the ending with the Buddha and kindness and love being the finale,” Ms. Schussler shared.

Throughout Shen Yun, the theme of kindness prevailing over evil touched the couple.

“It was very moving, the last story about how kindness and generosity overcome everything,” Ms. Schussler said.

Although Shen Yun’s dance stories touch on horrendous crimes by the Chinese Communist Party against the spiritual Falun Dafa practitioners in China who live by the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance, the dances always end with hope and optimism.

“We could feel the light that came out, and really, I thought it was super positive and a really needed message for today’s times,” Ms. Schussler said.

Although Shen Yun is sharing the beauty of Chinese culture with the world, it is unable to perform in China.

“I think we’re very fortunate to live in this beautiful country where all religions are embraced,” Ms. Schussler said.

“I think everybody should see it. There’s something for everyone. There’s something to be gotten, to be inspired by,” Mr. Schussler added.

Reporting by Nancy Ma 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.