SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘A Fantastic Show…It Was Very Positive,’ Says Restaurant Owner

Apr 30, 2025

4/30/2025Updated: 4/30/2025

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.— Life coach Lisa Murray and restaurant owner Bill Ostini attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo on April 29. While it was Ms. Murray’s first time seeing the show, Mr. Ostini had seen it last year and loved it so much he returned for more.

“It’s absolutely a fantastic show. I enjoyed it so much last year and I knew it was going to be a different one this year. I had to bring her to see it. It’s very special,” Mr. Ostini exclaimed.

“Just how athletic [the dancers] all are and how coordinated everything is—it’s quite amazing. It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of practice, a lot of years of doing it, and it shows.”

Shen Yunis 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.

In the decades since the communist regime seized power, Chinese culture was forced to the brink of extinction. The New York-based artists are now seeking to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and showcase to the world the beauty of China before communism.

“It was amazing, it really was. I’ve seen pictures of it, but I’m glad I’m here in person and not seeing something in video because you just wouldn’t be able to see the flowing of the dresses and the scarves and the control and discipline,” Ms. Murray shared. “It was just beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”

She loved the way the performers were able to fully convey stories through dance and music. “That was fun. We learned a little bit about the culture and the history. It was really great,” she shared.

“I kind of wish they had introduced the choreographers because it was so beautiful, and you knew there was some genius behind it all, coordinating all of that. … I just thought it was beautiful.”

Mr. Ostini, on the other hand, appreciated the spiritual element of the performance. “It’s uplifting. It was very positive. I enjoyed that part of it,” he shared. Ms. Murray will be doing some research on traditional Chinese spirituality after getting home because Shen Yun piqued her curiosity.

“I’m just interested in where'd [Shen Yun] come from? They portrayed it beautifully. It was very inspirational, and it just seemed like it was more than their dancing ability. It just seemed like it was very spiritual for them—like their dance means more to them than just movement.”

She would like to commend the performers for their dedication and let them know that “their hard work is so appreciated.”

“I know it takes a lot of work. When [the hosts] said there were eight dance companies, that’s a lot of dancers, and each one has an orchestra, and some of those cultural instruments—it was just gorgeous. … I’m glad I’m here this year.”

Reporting by Linda Jiang 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.