SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘A Journey of Chinese Culture,’ Says Seattle Theatergoer

Apr 03, 2026

4/3/2026Updated: 4/3/2026

SEATTLE—David Dillman, retired COO for Downtown Seattle Association, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 2 at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.

“[Shen Yun is] a journey of Chinese culture, past and present, that gives you a dynamic of dance, music, singing, and it’s all wrapped into a package of two hours where you can sit and enjoy the whole production of what you see,” Mr. Dillman said.

Shen Yun, based in New York, is on a mission to present “China before communism” and to revive people’s connection to 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture.

“This is culture. This is history from the beginning to the present. And the performances, the different dances, both with the male and female dancers is just absolutely beautiful,” Mr. Dillman said.

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

“They’re all synchronized. There was nobody out of step. You can tell that they’re absolute professionals. You know that they must practice all the time in order to have that level of efficiency. It’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This is the second time we’ve come,” Mr. Dillman said.

The Shen Yun Orchestra, which tours with Shen Yun, is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble.

“I told my wife that I closed my eyes to listen to the music. And the music to me was just outstanding, and I’m going to try to find to be able to get it if they have it on tape, or CD, where I could be able to take it home and be able to listen to it,” Mr. Dillman shared.

Before atheism became the state ideology under the Chinese Communist Party, China was filled with different spiritual beliefs. And Shen Yun is a reminder of what China was once like.

“We appreciate the fact that [Shen Yun] has a connection to religion, which is spiritual. And the spirit is in the heart, and that’s what shows here. It’s part of the heart. It shows the religion and the essence of the spiritual nature of what the performance is all about,” Mr. Dillman said.

He observed that Shen Yun isn’t an ordinary performance. Each artist has to believe in the mission of the company.

“This is a production where they have to believe in what they do and what the essence of the stories are all about. And the feeling in their heart of being able to perform like that is just amazing,” Mr. Dillmand said.

Reporting by Sunny Chen 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.