SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Was the Most Disciplined Performance of Any Kind That I’ve Ever Seen,’ Says Grammy-Nominated Musician

Apr 06, 2024

4/6/2024Updated: 4/9/2024

NEW YORK—Robin Wilson, the Grammy-nominated musician and lead vocalist of Gin Blossoms, attended Shen Yun’s third performance at the Lincoln Center on April 5.

Stepping out of the evening show, Mr. Wilson said Shen Yun “was the most disciplined performance of any kind that I’ve ever seen.”

As a fellow musician, he noted the contrast between his rock and roll style, which is known for its freedom, and Shen Yun’s live music. He was impressed by the artists’ precision.

According to the New York-based company’s website, Shen Yun’s orchestra is the first in the world to permanently combine ancient Chinese and Western instruments.

Using classical Western orchestration as the foundation, Shen Yun’s original compositions highlight traditional Chinese instruments such as the two-stringed erhu and the pipa—an ancient Chinese lute. Bringing to its audience the best of both worlds.

Also enjoying the performance was IT company executive John Lindsay. For him, Shen Yun was a “10 out of 10.”

“It’s absolutely beautiful. The choreography, the outfits, the costumes, the facial expressions—it was just beautiful. I’m very happy, very happy. I got the two best seats in the front. I’ve been so looking forward to this,” he exclaimed.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this beautiful—the costumes and the stories behind it. I know Chinese people well, and to see the pain that I know is going on [in present-day Chinese society] hurts my heart.”

The New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by elite Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party.

John Lindsay at Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York on April 6, 2024. (Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times) — John Lindsay at Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York on April 6, 2024. Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times

For 5,000 years, China’s civilization flourished under the shared belief that the divine will bless those who uphold traditional moral values. Tragically, within just a few decades of the communist party’s violent takeover, these beliefs were erased and replaced with atheism.

The goal of Shen Yun’s artists is to return to the world’s stage—the glory and beauty of China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture.

Mr. Lindsay loved this aspect of the performance.

“The spiritual part of Chinese culture is being refrained in China, but it’s alive here. It’s alive with me,” he said, referring to the communist party’s persecution of the people of faith.

“I see what they’re trying to do. It’s a shame; it’s sad what’s going on in China.”