SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun More Important Than Ever, Says English Theatergoer

Jan 25, 2026

1/25/2026Updated: 1/25/2026

WOKING, UK—In a community that shuttles to busy London on workdays, theatergoers spent an afternoon of leisure watching an ancient land from the East appear onstage, as if by magic, in the English town of Woking.

Saturday’s performance, by New York-based dance company Shen Yun, began with a bow from the conductor of its live orchestra before the curtain lifted at the New Victoria Theatre. The audience was then transported into a cloud-bedecked heavenly paradise in which the dancers retold the myth of creation—ancient Chinese-style.

Descending from the heavens, deities became the players of China’s 5,000-year-old history, as the dozens of stories in Shen Yun’s 2-hour performance unfolded. Many in the audience were awed by the grand procession of costumed dancers. More were impressed when they depicted scenes of modern China being suppressed under communism.

“I think it’s brilliant. Really, really good. The choreography is excellent,” said David Ashford, a journalist who spoke to The Epoch Times after the first half of the show. “The visuals, the synchronized dance; it’s really special.”

Mr. Ashford paid particular attention to Shen Yun’s state-of-the-art 3D animated backdrop, which transports the audience from ancient palaces to misty mountains and modern Chinese cities, interacting seamlessly with dancers onstage. He said he loved the long sleeves of the lady dancers, which appeared to float weightlessly across the stage. It was a breath of fresh air in this busy modern age, he added.

“The world seems quite stressful at the moment,” Mr. Ashford said. “I think it’s even more important—more than ever—that we have this.”

Lynn Maslen, a homemaker who saw the same show Saturday, said she was moved by the live musical accompaniment. Shen Yun’s orchestra blends Chinese and Western classical instruments together for a sound entirely unique. The two-stringed erhu, which she had never seen before, was the talk among Ms. Maslen and the company she was with.

“It’s just so relaxing,” she said. “Lovely—it was lovely.”

Lynn Maslen and Toby Cottrell enjoyed Shen Yun at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking on Jan. 24. (Huang Shishun/The Epoch Times) — Lynn Maslen and Toby Cottrell enjoyed Shen Yun at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking on Jan. 24. Huang Shishun/The Epoch Times

But it was Shen Yun’s theme of “China before communism,” she said, that enticed her to get to the theatre.

“To be honest, because there’s such bad press coming out [about mainland China], I thought I don’t want to know about current China,” she said. “But then, when I read about it and heard [Shen Yun] was about pre-communism and old China ... I wanted to come and see it.”

The dance company, which is based in upstate New York, advertises that it presents “China before communism” while aiming to revive a culture that was “almost lost” during China’s destructive Cultural Revolution. Many of its dancers are believers in the persecuted faith Falun Dafa; some even escaped persecution in China.

Clare Heath Paterson attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, England, on Jan. 24, 2026. (NTD) — Clare Heath Paterson attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, England, on Jan. 24, 2026. NTD

Classical Chinese dance is Shen Yun’s specialty. In its mission to start a cultural renaissance, the company uses this style to retell myths and revive traditional morals without using words. This gives the dancers a universal medium to speak to audiences on their global tours.

“The choreography and the patterns were just stunning,” said Clare Heath Paterson, a former performer who now teaches children’s dance in Kent. “One thing I felt was the control and the technique—they’re just so soft into the ground. It was magnificent.” She found the combination of strength and flexibility “stunning.”

She said she didn’t realize until learning from Shen Yun that gymnastics comes from classical Chinese dance, and that the moves originated from ancient times. The ancient costumes were an extension of their movements, she said.

“If I extend my arm, it goes so far. But then with the costume, it went beyond the movement,” she said. “It really does touch you.”

Reporting by Huang Shishun, Jenna Zhan, NTD, and Michael Wing.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.