SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun’s ‘Live Orchestra Hit the Nail on the Head,’ Says Musician

Jan 04, 2026

1/4/2026Updated: 1/4/2026

SAN FRANCISCO—Musician and educator Franklin Davis had read about Shen Yun Performing Arts for years and, on Jan. 4, he surprised his wife with a date to attend the company’s matinee at the War Memorial Opera House.

“It was lovely, beautiful, vibrant. It just filled my heart up,” Mrs. Davis exclaimed. “I’ve been wanting to see this show for 10 years and [my husband] surprised me with tickets today.”

Mr. Davis was equally pleased to have attended. Shen Yun turned out to be an experience well worth waiting for.

“All the colors are a feast for the eyes,” he said. “I think we loved it. We loved the show. It was showing us wonderful traditional values that I think are much better for life on earth.”

He was particularly struck by the dancers’ skill and grace.

“The fluidity and the athleticism—it almost looked effortless. It looked like [the dancers] were riding on air at times. It really looked [like] jumping on clouds. It was wonderful.”

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

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 artists’ dream is to return to the world’s stage, the glory and beauty of China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture.

“I think that’s a really good mission because it’s a mission of very good principles and very good beliefs,” Mr. Davis commented. “I hope it succeeds, especially in mainland China, where they need more freedom and freedom of expression.”

Reflecting on the spiritual concepts shared in the performance, Mr. Davis said he found them similar to American Christian values and was happy to see that “they also existed in old China.”

It’s the “acknowledgement of the divine, and the divine in each of us. It’s well represented,” he said. Truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, “I think those are good principles to live by.”

As a musician, Mr. Davis paid special attention to the live orchestra, which accompanied the dances with all-original compositions.

Seamlessly blending a classical Western orchestra with traditional Chinese melodies and instruments such as the two-stringed erhu and pipa, an ancient lute, Shen Yun’s musicians present the best of both worlds.

“The live orchestra hit the nail on the head. I’m all in favor of live music. It makes a big difference,” Mr. Davis shared. “It’s very pleasant. It does describe the scene very well. So, I think it’s a good fit, the music and what you see on stage. Bravo to everyone.”

Reporting by Gary Wang, NTD, and Jennifer Tseng.

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