SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun’s Message Is Shared ‘With Such Beauty,’ Says University Professor

May 04, 2025

5/4/2025Updated: 5/4/2025

CHICAGO—David Koltick, a professor at Purdue University, and his wife, Helen, a homemaker, enjoyed a magical evening on May 3, as they attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ second of three consecutive performances at the Civic Opera House.

“It’s very beautiful and we’re enjoying it very much. The colors—I don’t think I’ve seen such colorful costumes before,” Mr. Koltick exclaimed. “The way the [3D backdrop] works is very interesting. I really enjoy that.”

As one of the oldest civilizations in the world, China’s 5,000 years of history are filled with breathtaking legends and rich traditions. Yet, within just a few decades of the Chinese communists’ rise to power, this magnificent culture was destroyed.

The spread of atheism quickly eradicated the Chinese people’s belief in the divine. The cherished virtues and values learned from the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism disappeared overnight.

Today, New York-based Shen Yun is working to revive this lost civilization and bring back to the world through dance and music, the beauty of pre-communist China.

Mr. Koltick believes this is a profoundly important mission—one that must be continued.

“The art of it and understanding that history is so important. Culture is so important. That’s a message we can’t forget in America either—that culture is key,” he said.

“That’s a beautiful message, and it’s done with such beauty. It comes home very strongly. … It saddens me that people don’t know history. So, that’s a very, very important thing.”

Mrs. Koltick, too, stressed that people “will lose their culture if they forget the history. So, it must be constantly taught.” She lamented that young people in China today lack access to the rich values and cultural heritage conveyed through Shen Yun.

Reflecting on the artists’ story-based dance raising awareness about the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing persecution of the people of faith, Mrs. Koltick said it was difficult to watch, but it certainly “is the truth, and the message has to be said.”

“We just wanted how [Shen Yun] presented it, and it is amazing. The message is clear.”

Though Shen Yun is well-beloved by audiences around the world, it is currently forbidden by the ruling Chinese regime from performing in China. In fact, many of Shen Yun’s founding members had fled to America to escape persecution by the communist party.

As Christians, the couple was surprised by how closely the values presented in traditional Chinese spirituality align with their own faith.

“The single deity and the Creator, all those things. We were a little bit surprised at the parallels there,” Mr. Koltick shared. “The fact that they said atheism is evil, we agree so much with that.”

“As a professor of physics. I know how important faith is and the truth. It’s a spiritual battle that’s going on, and we very much believe in that, both of us.”

Reporting by Stacey Tang 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.