SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Dancers Are Incredible. I’m Very Impressed, Says Dance School Founder

Mar 22, 2026

3/22/2026Updated: 3/22/2026

SYDNEY, Australia—Ballerina and dance school founder Brooke Charpentier attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee at the Sydney Lyric on March 22. At the conclusion of the performance, she said the experience was wonderful, and it brought a lot of inspiration for her own dance shows.

“Incredible. The formations and the costuming and the music and even the background,” she said. “So, it’s really good to see the backdrops and the narrators coming out and speaking about the dancers and then even the singer that came out [and] the orchestra. It’s beautiful. It’s really good to see.”

“I’ve got so many ideas for my show. At the end of the year, we’re doing Peter Pan for my company. So, [Shen Yun’s] given me so many ideas of costuming and even like how the singer came out, the orchestra, the coloring—I’ve got so many ideas for my concert.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company.

The production is comprised of a series of short pieces that takes its audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China. Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun tells tales from ancient times to the modern day.

As a professional dancer, Ms. Charpentier was stunned by the artists’ technical mastery and discipline.

“They’re very, very incredible. The male in their flexibility, that’s pretty incredible. The girls and how they walk very small [steps] and the flowing of their dress—they float on the stage, incredible.”

She also noted the exceptional athleticism of the male dancers.

“The males, they’ve got so much agility, they jump so high. For example, ballet male dancers in Australia, I feel like don’t have the flexibility. And watching the dancers, especially, the males—their flexibility is incredible. I’m very impressed.”

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.

Ms. Charpentier also appreciated the performers’ expressive quality. Though she is unfamiliar with traditional Chinese culture, she had no difficulty understanding the message and storylines the artists conveyed.

“It’s quite easy to follow the stories. … You can see [the energy behind] every single dancer, the passion through their face, as well,” she shared.

“Even though we’re quite far back, you can still see it. I watch classical ballet all the time, so seeing [Shen Yun dancers] today, you can see that they love it. [Even] sitting far back, the inspiration in their face and their passion and their movement—incredible.”

Though it was Ms. Charpentier’s first time attending Shen Yun, she is certain it won’t be her last.

“I’ve never been to a show like this before, so it was something I’ve never experienced, but it’s incredible,” she shared, “something I want to come and see again.”

Reporting by Steve 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.