SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Truly Amazing’ Performance of ‘Positive Energy’: Director of Finance

Mar 14, 2025

3/14/2025Updated: 5/7/2025

ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Husniye Saldana had seen Shen Yun Performing Arts before, and her third time attending was no less moving than the first, bringing the global IT retail solutions advisor to tears at moments. This time, she attended Shen Yun with JJ Anderson, a director of finance in biotech, who was blown away by the experience.

“It was amazing. That was truly amazing,” said Mr. Anderson after seeing Shen Yun at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, on March 13.

“The orchestra was brilliant, the dancing was amazing ... the erhu—amazing. That was my favorite. That was incredible. Two strings and she made all that sound, and all that—oh, that was great.”

“You walk away, just you can’t get the smile off your face. You have a great feeling inside,” he said. “That’s what I take away from it. It made me feel good. It makes you feel good.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s leading classical Chinese dance company.

Through music and dance, Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, sharing with audiences the beauty of China before communism.

Shen Yun made Mr. Anderson feel “inspired,” he said. “Everything was a story. It just makes you feel good. You walk away with so much positive energy. The music—I love it.”

Mr. Anderson said he particularly loved the music, whether it was the erhu virtuoso’s performance, the songs performed by bel canto soloists, or the orchestra accompanying the dance vignettes in the pit.

“They’re telling a very touching, religious, spiritual kind of story, but it just comes out like this, just like an orchestra down there playing, and one person made all that sound. It was incredible,“ he said. ”It’s just very inspiring.”

Mr. Anderson and Ms. Saldana said that neither of them were religious, but both were able to resonate with the spirituality of traditional Chinese culture presented by Shen Yun.

Mr. Anderson added that he was surprised to learn that the Chinese communist regime is officially atheist and people of faith are still subject to religious persecution by the state to this day, and he was impressed to see the traditional culture revived by Shen Yun. Ms. Saldana said that her personal belief in God “gives my heart some peace,” and prayer and belief in something bigger help her get through things.

They saw universal values that resonated, and themes that inspired them as well.

“I think what’s great about it is that it’s kindness, compassion. They were always helping each other. It doesn’t matter what you believe. It’s like the rooted of: hey, just be nice to each other. Be kind, be compassionate, be tolerant,” Mr. Anderson said.

“That’s so that’s the message. That’s the message I get is like, oh, that always wins out. Love, kindness, compassion wins out every time,” he said.

He felt the stories showed that, regardless of religion or belief, compassion wins out in the end—and often with a touch of divine intervention.

“The gods would reward you,” he said, describing the twists and resolutions in some of the stories. “And that was great. The guy meditated and did well. Wonderful. I thought it was really cool.”

Ms. Saldana felt Shen Yun truly lived up to its name—“the beauty of divine beings dancing.”

“The stories, they are so touching, so much love, like the name,” said Ms. Saldana, who was already planning to return next year for a fourth performance. “I’m in love with the show.”

“I love it. I love the music. I love the colors. I love the dance. The stories are wonderful. I get goosebumps, and it makes me sometimes cry. It’s so touching. I love it, and next year I'll be back,” she said.

Reporting by Jane Yang and Catherine Yang.

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