SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Theatergoers Moved by Shen Yun’s Powerful Message of Salvation

Apr 06, 2026

4/6/2026Updated: 4/7/2026

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts buzzed with excitement as the curtain rose for Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 5. Gabriel and Florence Kehn expressed their enjoyment after the performance.

Mr. Kehn, a director of medical logistics, said, “It was great. Visually stunning. The costumes were beautiful.”

Shen Yun features bel canto singers who perform original songs in Mandarin, as the backdrop projects the lyrics in English. The message of returning to tradition, purity, and the Creator saving humanity resonated with Mr. Kehn.

He was especially impressed with the singer. “It was extremely strong and powerful,” he said. “It was all very deep. It was about being saved.”

The opening scene, as the curtain rises, presents divine beings following the Creator to Earth to bring about a new era for mankind.

“I’ve always believed that there is something obviously more divine and beyond us. What that is, though, I don’t know. It just makes you want to question that and research that more, and to get in touch with something that’s bigger than ourselves,” Mr. Kehn said.

The emcees explained that Shen Yun’s name means “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” With Shen Yun’s powerful message, Mr. Kehn said there was much to reflect upon.

Mrs. Kehn said Shen Yun was a birthday gift for her husband, who liked it very much. “This was a treat to celebrate his birthday. It’s been a great experience.”

Former Air Force Lt. Col. Praises ‘Divine Connection’ in Shen Yun’s Message

James and Susanne Dorman attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Pikes Peak Centre for the Performing Arts in Colorado Springs on April 4, 2026. (NTD) — James and Susanne Dorman attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Pikes Peak Centre for the Performing Arts in Colorado Springs on April 4, 2026. NTD

Shen Yun’s spiritual message also touched James and Susanne Dorman. Mr. Dorman, an Anglican minister and former Lt. Col. in the Air Force, appreciated Shen Yun’s spiritual message and sense of “divine connection.”

He liked “the allusions to the Creator and how those big ideas resonate down into Chinese culture. I was unaware of that, but I’m really delighted to see that, and it’s very encouraging to me.”

Mr. Dorman said he learned a lot about Chinese culture from Shen Yun. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional culture from “China before communism,” which Mr. Dorman supports.

“I think it’s a beautiful thing,” Mr. Dorman said. “Obviously, this has been lost over the last century, and it’s something long overdue. We need to see it, and we need to understand the Chinese culture at its roots. It’s very important. We’re really happy to see it, and it’s been educational and inspiring.”

He said, “I was surprised at the precision of the dance in each of the individual acts. You could see the fruit of a tremendous amount of practice and rehearsal.

“I’m just taken aback by how well coordinated and how well choreographed each act is, and I really appreciate the fact that each act has a theme,” Mr. Dorman added.

Mrs. Dorman said she and her husband have been married for almost 50 years, with children and grandchildren. “I like the peaceful music, I like the peaceful scenes. It’s a quieting performance for me,” she said. “The music is also very peaceful, which I appreciate.”

Shen Yun features a patented digital backdrop technology that interacts with the performers as they jump in and out of magical landscapes in the background.

“The connection between the backdrop and the actual acting on stage is surprising, and very remarkable, and beautifully done. You feel like people come actually out of the backdrop and it looks real,” Mr. Dorman said.

Reporting by NTD, Sherry Dong, and Yvonne Marcotte.

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