SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Transports Theatergoers to the Wonderful World of Ancient China

Mar 28, 2026

3/28/2026Updated: 3/29/2026

NEW YORK—Dr. James Hill accompanied his daughter Jennifer Geary to a matinee performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater on March 28, which they were looking forward to.

Ms. Geary, a legal executive assistant, said Shen Yun took her to a beautiful world. “It’s absolutely stunning. It’s beautiful. I find that if I take myself back and imagine that I am an emperor of 3,000 years ago, just how exquisite this would have been.

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional culture from “China before communism.” The New York-based company is banned from performing in China by the ruling communist regime.

“It’s beautiful today. But back in the day that this was created, it was mind-blowing. I can see why people believe there was heaven on earth,” Ms. Geary said. “The costumes, the dancing, the music are all just absolutely exquisite.”

Ms. Geary also noted in the piece “The Steadfast Heart” the persecution of people who practice Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong) by the communist regime. According to the program, “Falun Dafa practitioners could once be found in parks across China. But in 1999, the communist regime, fearing the practice’s popularity, launched a brutal campaign to wipe it out.”

“I was quite blown away, too, by the modern-day interpretation of what’s happening today in China. That broke my heart. That was very unexpected, but it’s a very powerful way to get a message across as to what’s actually happening,” she said.

Dr. Hill, a retired cardiologist from England, came to visit his daughter. He said, “Yes, it’s extraordinary, fun. It’s an extravaganza and something we’ve never seen, and would never see otherwise. I’m also amazed that it’s not allowed in China.”

Shen Yun features a live orchestra that includes Eastern and Western instruments in sync with the dances on stage. Dr. Hill was impressed by the musicians and performers. “There’s the speed, the timing, and everything that happened, really. It’s just inspiring to watch people like that.”

“I’m very grateful to every artist and every producer—everybody involved in this to bring us such a beautiful, beautiful performance,” Ms. Geary said.

Theatergoer Appreciates China’s Rich Traditional Culture

Ilya Pepzner attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater on March 28, 2026. (Sherry Dong/Epoch Times) — Ilya Pepzner attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater on March 28, 2026. Sherry Dong/Epoch Times

Ilya Pepzner, a senior sales manager leading a software engineering team, enjoyed the various dances from all parts of China.

“It’s wonderful to see all the dancing and the different cultural ethnicities that are represented in how the show comes together,” he said. “The music is tremendous, the different styles that are being shown are amazing, and the music is definitely very unique. It’s not something that we get to see on an everyday basis.”

He liked the unique beauty of the performance. “It is very beautiful, very unique, and not like any show I’ve ever seen before,” he said.

Mr. Pepzner is interested in other cultures, especially one as rich as China’s. “I just like to have an appreciation for other cultures, processes, their art, and their expression. For me, it’s an appreciation for the art forms in other cultures.”

He thought of the value Shen Yun would bring to his daughters. “I’m trying to inspire my daughters to feel and see how other cultures are experienced and to be able to appreciate the artwork.”

Reporting by Sherry Dong and Yvonne Marcotte.

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