BALTIMORE—Douglas Campbell remembers the Hippodrome Theatre’s heyday: hosting celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Broadway shows in downtown Baltimore. But on April 19, he watched a classical Chinese dance company, the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts, at the theatre, calling it the best show he had seen all year.
Mr. Campbell, a retired magazine editor and pharmacist, said, “I just can never believe the music and the costumes. It’s just spectacular. It’s the best show [I’ve] seen all year.”
There was a time when Mr. Campbell couldn’t see shows like this one—or any show at all—in this theater, as it was too “run down” and “in terrible condition,” he said. “You would not believe what it took to bring this back to the way it looks. And we now bring Broadway theater [and] Shen Yun back to the city.”
For several years, seeing Shen Yun with his now-late wife became a tradition they both cherished, until last year when she passed away.
“We used to bring some friends. So this year I came myself, ... I like to sit up front,” Mr. Campbell said, adding that he will “take [Shen Yun] with me” when he leaves the theater today and “will think about it all year.”
“It’s for the heart, I believe that,” he said. “I look forward to seeing it.”
Now in its 20th year, Shen Yun was founded to revive a culture that was “almost lost” during China’s destructive Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. Much as the theater Mr. Campbell stands in today was saved by those who cherish tradition, so is the Chinese culture. In Shen Yun’s case, it was saved by American-born Chinese and expats who had experienced religious persecution in their homeland and came to America for freedom of expression. They established the company in upstate New York and now tour the globe.
The show’s dozens of dancers flow with the grace and strength of classical Chinese dance, an age-old art form ideal for wordless storytelling. They tell ancient tales that incorporate spirituality and make ancient morals feel fresh and relatable in today’s troubled world.
Many in the audience feel inspired to be better people after watching Shen Yun because it gets “back to basics”—teaching people to be kind and help others. “The show almost has a spiritual sense to it,” Mr. Campbell said. “I can’t explain it, but I will leave here and feel a better person every year.”
“So many of our programs today are violent,” he added. “American television has turned into—there’s a lot of crime. And [Shen Yun] takes you away from the world. It brings you to the world that should be.”
‘The Best of Humanity’
Douglas Campbell attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore on April 19, 2026. Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times
Michael Widenhofer, who manages facilities for the Saint Anne Center for Women and Children, also watched Shen Yun in the Hippodrome Theater on Sunday and said it was “like being reborn.”
Shen Yun’s moral message is “something I would like to learn and practice more of,” he said. “We get a second chance to live.”
Ancient Chinese myths are rich with characters who have brought out the best in humanity. In Shen Yun, an emperor goes “undercover” to experience life as a commoner, then emerges humbled and kind. A meditator endures harsh elements to become firmer of heart. There are the heroics of the legendary Monkey King, who brings lightheartedness, humor, and magic. But above all, there is the divine—an aspect of life the ancient Chinese believed was fully intertwined with all life.
“The way of life they talk about, meditating and practicing spirituality, is essential to having a healthy, well-balanced life,” Widenhofer said, speaking of his takeaway after watching Shen Yun.
Part of what makes Shen Yun so unique is the style of its dancing, called classical Chinese dance. Through the art form, Shen Yun’s dancers can express a great range of subtle emotions—such as reverence for the divine or stalwart determination in the face of challenges—but also execute powerful flips and tumbling moves. When dozens of dancers all move in unison, the effect is spellbinding.
Samantha Chaffee, who works in finance, says he’s seen many shows, both on and off Broadway, but has never seen anything like this one.
Samantha Chaffee and her date attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Hippodrome Theatre, in Baltimore, on Sunday, April 19, 2026. Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times
“I’ve just never seen choreography like this in my life. I mean, they are so on point,” she said. “You can tell it’s a passion, but it’s also like whoever is directing it is doing a top job.”
And there’s nothing like seeing a live show in a theater like this one, she added. “YouTube doesn’t even hold a candle to seeing it in real life.”
