VANCOUVER, Canada—Company CEO and former Member of the Legislative Assembly Ken Jones attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 11.
Though he has attended many theatre performances throughout the year, this was Mr. Jones’ first time watching Shen Yun, and he had a wonderful experience.
“The show was terrific. It was a colorful presentation, and the [flips and tumbling technique] was outstanding,” he shared at the end of the evening.
“It was certainly a great experience to enjoy the different parts of [Chinese] culture.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded by leading Chinese artists who fled the persecution and oppression of China’s communist regime. The artists’ goal is to revive traditional culture and to show the world the beauty of China before communism.
Its production is composed of a series of short pieces that takes its audience on a journey through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China. Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, the company tells tales from ancient times to the present day.
Reflecting on the artists’ use of performing arts to raise awareness of ongoing human rights issues in present-day China, Mr. Jones said he is grateful that Canada is a free country where “the expressions and views of different people are allowed.”
He was also highly impressed by the performers’ energy.
“Outstanding energy from start to finish,” he shared. “The performers and the orchestra were tremendous. … [The music] was so smooth and danceable.”
Using classical Western orchestration as the foundation, Shen Yun’s original compositions highlight traditional Chinese instruments such as the two-stringed erhu and the pipa, bringing to its audience the best of both worlds.
The erhu solo “was tremendous,” Mr. Jones added. “Such a touch that [the artist] had on it. She just brought out every bit of resonance from those couple of strings.”
For its 2026 touring season, Shen Yun’s eight equally-sized companies will be performing in over 200 cities across five continents. Met with wide acclaim since its establishment in 2006, the company can be expected to return each year with a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions.
Reporting by Ryan Moffat 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.
