PHOENIX—For former speed skater Jessica Neamtu, seeing the classical Chinese dancers of Shen Yun Performing Arts live onstage for the first time felt like being whirled into “a different world.”
Neamtu, who now studies molecular biology at Grand Canyon University, spent Saturday afternoon watching Shen Yun Performing Arts entertain at Symphony Hall. The New York-based dance company showcases a visual and auditory bonanza, immersing its audience in the beauty of divinely inspired Chinese culture and making those values feel real again.
“It helped open a different world to me,” Neamtu told The Epoch Times in the theater during the intermission. “I need to start reading Chinese literature more. It was very beautiful and moving.”
Her voice displayed excitement. Many voices sound excited when speaking about seeing Shen Yun, since many are deeply touched when experiencing what the dance company calls “China before communism.”
Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Shen Yun is mainly composed of American-born Chinese or expats who fled China to escape persecution of their faith by the Chinese Communist Party. The artists are on a mission to revive a culture that was “almost lost” during communism’s repressive Cultural Revolution from the mid-1960s.
Shen Yun’s dancers specialize in the soundless and universal language of classical Chinese dance. Its range is impressive, featuring movements as delicate as a flower or robust as a gymnast. It can communicate power, as well as feelings that have depth and grace.
“Oh, it was beautiful. It was so elegant. I was in awe,” Neamtu, who is no stranger to athletics, said. “And I really liked the special effects. I was like, what happened? How did they do that? So they kept me at the edge of my seat.”
Shen Yun is known for a patented special effect that allows its dancers to seamlessly jump from the stage into magical realms on screen.
For 20 years, Shen Yun has toured the globe, joyfully heralding a cultural renaissance in China. This revival has traditionally meant opening the curtain with a scene from the heavens, retelling the Chinese legend of the Creator. The pageant that follows depicts China’s famous myths and legends, various dynasties, ethnic dances, and divine interactions.
All throughout, the exquisite costumes of its dozens of dancers are a constant. Every thread and texture is painstakingly researched from ancient manuscripts and hand-stitched. The motifs display traditional symbols like dragons, phoenixes, and clouds.
Bob La Chance attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 7, 2026. NTD
“The costumes were unbelievable,” Bob La Chance, a retired estate planner who also watched Shen Yun on Saturday, told The Epoch Times. “The Shen Yun experience was an extraordinary mélange of marvelous athleticism. The music was extraordinary, but I love the spiritual overtones.”
Then, looking beyond this world into the one recreated by Shen Yun, featuring China’s spiritual past, he said, “It was somewhat otherworldly.”
“It was transforming and transfixing,” La Chance added. “It was beautiful, marvelous, far beyond just a dance show, and a glorious show of cultural backgrounds. Something very elevating for the spirit.”
