SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘Absolutely Spectacular,’ Says Graphic Artist

Feb 18, 2026

2/18/2026Updated: 2/18/2026

AUGUSTA, Ga.—On Feb. 17, Shen Yun Performing Arts concluded a successful performance at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center, where it was received warmly by the Georgia audience.

Graphic artist Lisa Addison was delighted to attend the performance and enjoyed an unforgettable evening filled with breathtaking colors and stories.

“It was wonderful, absolutely spectacular,” she exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve always wanted to visit China. … [The performance] was just fantastic.”

According to its website, the name ‘Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Based in New York, the artists have made it their mission to revive, through dance and music, China’s divinely inspired civilization to its pre-communist glory.

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.

Ms. Addison especially appreciated the artists’ portrayal of traditional Chinese spirituality. Though she follows a different faith, she admired Shen Yun’s efforts to share these values with the world and recognized the hardships the artists have endured under persecution by the Chinese Communist Party.

“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “The way things are going now, we’re getting away from the spiritual. We’re getting away from God, we’re getting away from the things we should be doing.”

“We need to come back to our traditions and the way things used to be and recenter ourselves—to get right with Heaven.”

In the 20 years since its founding, Shen Yun Performing Arts has become beloved by audiences around the globe. However, due to the artists’ commitment to reviving traditional culture and raising awareness about ongoing human rights issues in present-day China, the company has faced continuous harassment from the ruling communist regime and remains banned from performing in China.

Ms. Addison believes Shen Yun’s mission is vital and deeply impactful. The performance has inspired her to cultivate her inner character and strive to make the world a better place.

“We need to recenter ourselves and bring ourselves back to the spiritual,” she reiterated. “The world is in a very difficult place right now. If we don’t come back [to tradition,] it’s only going to get worse.”

She added that people of all backgrounds—whether Chinese, American, or European—should come together as one and support one another, and that Shen Yun’s performance does precisely that.

The pieces “very well matched the message that [Shen Yun is] trying to convey,” Ms. Addison said. “It brought it all together, and it was spectacular.”

In 2026, Shen Yun’s eight touring companies are bringing their performances to more than 200 cities worldwide. With a brand-new program each year, the company’s 19th anniversary marks another season full of fresh surprises for both first-time and returning audiences alike.

Reporting by Frank Xie 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.