SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

University Professors Praise Shen Yun’s Educational Value

Feb 07, 2026

2/7/2026Updated: 2/7/2026

LONG BEACH, Calif.—University professors attending Shen Yun Performing Arts in Long Beach praised the production for its vivid portrayal of traditional Chinese culture and its strong educational significance.

On the evening of Feb. 6, Shen Yun arrived for its first performance on its 2026 world tour in Long Beach, California, at the Terrace Theater of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. After watching the performance, Veronica Acosta, a professor at the Department of Health Science, California State University, Long Beach, said she thoroughly enjoyed it, praising Shen Yun for its beautiful presentation of traditional culture and its strong educational value.

“I loved the show—absolutely loved it,” Ms. Acosta said, expressing her heartfelt admiration for the performance. “The costumes, the colors, the stories, the music—everything about it was captivating.”

Ms. Acosta noted that the performance vividly portrayed scenes from everyday life and was impressed by the performers’ expressiveness.

“The show depicted many different aspects of life and daily activities,” she said. “What especially touched me was the acting, and the way the performance transitioned from one act to another—it was really beautifully done.”

Through classical Chinese dance, New York-based Shen Yun celebrates the beauty and value of traditional Chinese culture from “China before communism,” while revealing the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Since the regime came to power in 1949, it has systematically distorted and destroyed thousands of years of traditional Chinese culture through political campaigns such as the Cultural Revolution.

As a university professor, Ms. Acosta praised Shen Yun’s dedication to reviving an endangered traditional culture, saying that this mission carries strong educational significance.

“We really need to go back to basics,” she said. “We’ve gone so far from our cultural roots for such a long time, and we need to bring them back—because that’s part of who we are.”

Seeing many children in the audience, Ms. Acosta said she hoped they would be inspired by the performance.

“In today’s society, we really need the arts and culture,” she said. “Anything we can do to support that—and to have our kids participate in it, or at least be inspired by it—is so important.”

Ms. Acosta said she sees that the traditional values and spiritual depth conveyed in Shen Yun can have a profoundly positive impact on society today. Reflecting on what inspired her the most, she said the performance emphasized kindness, spiritual purpose, and moral grounding.

“It inspired me to be kind, to have a spiritual purpose,” she said. “And most of all, we need a basic foundation—[it’s] character building.”

Also attending the performance with Ms. Acosta was Tony Sinay, a professor at the Department of Public Health, California State University. Mr. Sinay said he has long admired Chinese culture and has a strong interest in classical Chinese dance.

“I think it’s very good for Americans,” he said. “It allows them to really get a feel for the traditions of Chinese culture.”

Mr. Sinay added that Chinese culture continues to preserve its traditional values, despite China’s modern challenges.

“I feel that Chinese culture still holds on to its old values and traditions,” he said. “Of course, there’s some erosion, like everywhere else, but the roots are still there. I can feel it, and I really like that.”

Ms. Acosta agreed and noted that the Lunar New Year was approaching, making the experience of watching Shen Yun especially timely and meaningful—almost like a ceremonial way to welcome the new year.

Summing up her experience, Ms. Acosta said she was deeply impressed by every aspect of the performance.

“I really, really appreciated the depiction of culture,” she said. “The physical prowess of the dancers, the singers, the spiritual aspect, and the emotions portrayed—along with the colors, the costume design, the songs, the compositions—everything about it.”

Reporting by Michael Ren and Olivia Li.

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