SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Theatergoer: ‘It’s Magnificent’

Mar 16, 2026

3/16/2026Updated: 3/17/2026

SALT LAKE CITY—Matt Cottrell and Lisa Cottrell saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on March 15 at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater.

“It’s magnificent. These are very talented performers. And the Chinese culture that they are displaying is something we haven’t seen before. It’s just magnificent,” said Mr. Cottrell, a CEO at a technology company.

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

“It’s very touching and beautiful. It’s educational too. We didn’t know anything about Chinese culture, but this is really special,” Mr. Cottrell said.

“No matter where we come from, what part of the world we come from, essentially we’re the same and we long for the same things—connection to a creator. We have our [culture] in America, the Chinese have theirs, but we all want the same thing, unity,” Mr. Cottrell said.

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

“I love it so much. Dance has been a part of my whole life. And I am just so grateful for the grace, the beauty, the strength that I am seeing on the stage. I haven’t even been able to see that here in America. So to have this here, I’m just filled with gratitude. It is so beautiful,” Mrs. Cottrell said.

Shen Yun’s website states that classical Chinese dance training includes three main components—technical skill, form, and bearing, which is one of the many ways that classical Chinese dance is different from ballet.

Mrs. Cottrell shared that she hasn’t danced in two or three decades.

“To watch this is just amazing. That’s how I dance in my dreams. … I love it so much. I just enjoy it and love it. It is truly a passion. To be able to watch this is just amazing. I’m so grateful,” she said.

Shen Yun’s dance stories also portray the modern true story of Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted for their faith in China. Falun Dafa is a peaceful practice that teaches the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.

“I was interested to know that this [Shen Yun] couldn’t happen in China. So they must be really oppressed more than we even think. Right? That’s sad. It’s sad that something this beautiful couldn’t take place in China,” Mr. Cottrell said.

Reporting by Lily Yu 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.