SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun’s Stories Are About ‘Being Good and Helpful to People,’ Says Texas Theatergoer

Feb 01, 2026

2/1/2026Updated: 2/1/2026

HOUSTON—NBC photographer and editor Jon Hill and his wife, Gwen, the president of a technology company, brought their 14-year-old, Trenton, to see Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening show at the CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center on Jan. 31.

It was the family’s first time experiencing Shen Yun, and they thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

“The costumes are so bright and colorful. It was really like, wow,” Mr. Hill said. “It’s so good. The whole thing was great. I’ve never been to one.”

Trenton especially enjoyed the story-based dances and the classical Chinese dance piece “Peacock Paradise,” which depicted celestial fairies dancing amid the clouds.

“The Peacock one, when the cloud just came, that was cool,” he said. “[It was] vibrant and the storylines are really good.”

Mr. Hill, too, loved the dances that recounted legends from ancient times to the present day, as well as the traditional values they shared.

“I love it. It was [about] being good and helpful to people, and kind,” he expressed. “I liked the [spiritual] aspect, getting into heaven and everything. It’s really good.”

According to its website, the name ‘Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.”

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.

Based in New York, Shen Yun artists have made it their mission to revive through dance and music, China’s divinely inspired civilization to its pre-communist glory.

Trenton was shocked by what he learned about the persecution of faith in China. “I didn’t know how bad the communist party is in China,” he said. “What they do is insane. It makes me wonder, if I was born there, I wouldn’t know what to expect, but I’m glad I’m here [in America.]”

Both Mr. and Mrs. Hill agreed that Shen Yun is not only entertaining but also educational for the next generation. The family appreciated the artists’ efforts to bring back traditional beauty and classical arts.

“There are some ups and downs to history. Nowadays, it’s bland and not as artsy as it was like back then,” Trenton said. He also thought Shen Yun’s “music was amazing,”

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.

Mr. Hill said that he was very happy to hear that there would be a live orchestra at Shen Yun. “I couldn’t wait,” he said, “because live music is so much better.”

As a photographer, he also felt inspired by Shen Yun’s use of technology. “I really liked [the story] going from the screen to the actors. The technology part was really, really good.”

“That was insane,” Mrs. Hill added. “The elderly guy that changed his face and went young—we don’t know [how they did it.]”

According to its website, Shen Yun’s innovative digital technology creates seamless interaction between the backdrop projection and the performers on stage. “By extending the stage to infinite realms,” this patented 3D invention brings to the audience “storytelling without limits.”

If given the chance to meet Shen Yun’s artists in person, Mr. Hill would like to tell them: “Thank you for coming here,” and “keep doing what you’re doing. It’s fabulous.”

Reporting by Sally Sun 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.