SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘Shen Yun’s Costumes Are Amazing,’ Says Deputy Prosecutor

Feb 26, 2026

2/26/2026Updated: 2/26/2026

NANTES, France—For nine days, the Cité des Congrès in Nantes welcomes the best of chinese classical dance and music, adorned with the shimmering and harmonious colors of Shen Yun.

“The show is amazing!” On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Marie-Laure and Pascal Clermontel came to Nantes with their family to discover their Christmas gift: a performance of Shen Yun.

“The orchestra is truly perfect! It’s incredible, the sound is so pure!” said Mrs. Clermontel, a former police officer.

Each Shen Yun performance is accompanied by a live orchestra that is unique in the world, as it combines the sounds of traditional Eastern musical instruments with those of a classical Western symphony orchestra.

“The show is fantastic,” added Pascal Clermontel, deputy public prosecutor. “The costumes are amazing!”

Shen Yun costumes are handmade, closely following ancient engravings and works, with exquisite details such as headdresses and the “flowerpot” heeled shoes worn by Manchu ladies.

An Ancestral and Expressive Dance

“In terms of the dancers’ discipline, I think it’s wonderful, because our daughter does ballet, and you can really see the specificity and rigor of Chinese technique. It’s very impressive,” continued Marie-Laure Clermontel.

“I loved the water sleeve sequence,” said Mr. Clermontel. “I thought it was truly amazing and a great idea! That dance really moved me!”

Chinese classical dance, the foundation of the show, is one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world, combining basic movements and postures with acrobatics such as twists, jumps, and pirouettes. It is also one of the most expressive, drawing on the dancers’ “yun,” or inner energy, to express their deepest emotions.

Chinese classical dance is also very ancient, drawing on thousands of years of ethnic and folk dances, street theater, and imperial court dances.

Willian Thullier, a former sales representative, and Patricia Courquin, a former teacher, attended Shen Yun Nantes on Feb. 24, 2026. (NTD) — Willian Thullier, a former sales representative, and Patricia Courquin, a former teacher, attended Shen Yun Nantes on Feb. 24, 2026. NTD

William Thullier was blown away by Shen Yun in Paris. Fascinated by the experience, this former IT salesman returned to Nantes this year with Patricia Courquin, a former teacher.

“Superb! Superb!” said Mr. Thuillier. “It’s magical! Impressive, sometimes moving. That’s really how I felt, both times. It’s so beautiful!”

Mrs. Courquin said she was impressed by Sen Yun’s artistic level: “It’s excellent!” She particularly highlighted “the excellent acrobatic performance, especially on the floor, with no visible landing, which is difficult.”

Mr. Thullier also appreciated “the soft music, accompanied by very slow movements, but very well coordinated between the different dancers. It was moving for me.”

“The slow movements were both moving and very aesthetic,” Mrs. Courquin said.

A Thousand-Year-Old Culture and a Contemporary Message

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive a traditional Chinese culture with 5,000 years of history, rich in ethnic diversity and shaped by different dynasties, while maintaining a deep spirituality. However, this rich culture nearly disappeared with the rise to power of the Chinese Communist regime in 1949, which imposed a single communist ideology on the Chinese people.

Shen Yun brings to life the heroes, traditions, and beliefsof ancient China, while also exposing the situation in contemporary China with the ongoing persecution of Falun Dafa. Practitioners of this meditation discipline, based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, have been harassed, persecuted, imprisoned, and tortured to death since 1999. Crimes of forced organ harvesting are also being perpetrated in Chinese prisons.

William Thullier said he was impressed: “It’s good to convey the message while remaining moderate, as they do.”

For Mrs. Courquin, “the gods and the divine occupied an essential place in this culture. It is therefore logical to continue to keep this heritage alive.”

Reporting by Sarita Modmesaïb and translated from the French language Epoch Times by Sonia Rouleau.