SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Shared ‘A Lot of Positive Messages,’ Says Company CEO

Jan 04, 2026

1/4/2026Updated: 1/4/2026

SAN FRANCISCO—Tech company CEO Shawn Jackman and his wife, Joy, a wine educator, experienced Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time on Jan. 4, at the War Memorial Opera House. The matinee marked the successful conclusion of Shen Yun’s four-show run in San Francisco.

The couple was very impressed by the breadth of culture and history woven throughout the production.

“To learn to appreciate and love other cultures, to learn about the history, I thought it was very nice and refreshing,” Mr. Jackman said. “There were some fun messages mixed in, and it was done with some lightheartedness. I thought it was very nice.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.

According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles. Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest form, the way it was originally passed down through the generations.

Mrs. Jackman absolutely loved the dances and expressed her appreciation for the artists’ efforts to revive this lost art form. She said the performance was “nothing short of spectacular.”

“I loved the background, it was gorgeous. The costumes are stunning. It was incredible. It was a very great experience,” she said. Shen Yun’s patented digital projections “really drew you in, and it was pretty dynamic. It was great.”

Shen Yun’s innovative digital technology creates seamless interaction between the backdrop projection and the performers on stage. By extending the stage to infinite realms, this patented 3D invention brings to the audience storytelling without limits.

“It was very nice. It was surprising to see the animation come down and the person pop out. It was a lot of fun,” Mr. Jackman added.

Reflecting on the artists’ mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and values—many of which were lost following the Chinese Communist Party’s violent takeover and the widespread promotion of atheism—he said, “I think [they’ve] accomplished it.”

The performance “showed a lot of positive messages. The people, you have good and evil, you have the dark and the light, the tension—I think that is part of [their] message,” he expressed. Shen Yun “showed all the positive messages coming out. It was well done.”

Since its establishment in 2006, Shen Yun has earned widespread acclaim. Each year, the artists present a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions, ensuring that both new and returning audience members are always in for a surprise.

Reporting by NTD 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.