HIGH WYCOMBE, UK—They wore bright costumes of ancient gods with long sleeves that flowed like water whenever the female dancers swayed their arms. They moved expressively and retold legends through their chosen medium and passion—classical Chinese dance.
After the curtain opened to a capacity audience at the Wycombe Swan Theatre on Friday, the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts dance company reenacted the myth of creation and subsequent tales from across China’s 5,000-year history, including stories featuring the legendary Monkey King and scenes of modern-day China.
“Really creative,” “positive,” and “fluid” were the words Sonia Anderson, an image consultant, used to describe the pageantry of the affair, which included dozens of dancers moving in harmony and a live orchestra blending Western and Chinese instruments.
“Wow, just wow, it’s really lovely, the colors, the movement, it’s just fluid,” Anderson told The Epoch Times in the theater after the show. “It just looks like they were born to dance in that way, or move in that way. Just, yes, we’re just overwhelmed by how amazing it is.”
Now in its 20th year, Shen Yun is not only a visual and auditory feast; its artists also demonstrate that they really are on a heartfelt mission to revive Chinese culture. The time-honored beliefs and values of ancient China were “almost lost” in its devastating cultural revolution, the group states on its website. They now aim to revive that traditional culture while presenting “China before communism” to the world.
“It’s quite clear from the energy, from the dancers, the way that they come across, actually, it’s very positive,” Anderson said.
She said she had spent time living in Singapore and travelling around countries in Asia, and felt a fondness for those places return to her during today’s show. “There was something quite touching,” she said. “It just touched something, just memories and a special time.”
Then she added, “You need to see it to believe it. Really, it’s a beautiful show.”
Lesley and Andrew Gallagher attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Wycombe Swan Theatre on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. Ming Li/The Epoch Times
Andrew Gallagher, a retired IT lecturer who watched the same performance on Friday, said it resonated with Shen Yun’s message of revival. Similar to China, the world today has faced “a lot of nonsense,” Gallagher said. And he is all for “bringing back traditions.” He said he liked the lyrics sung by Shen Yun’s baritone about the spiritual crises in the world today.
Some artists of Shen Yun, in fact, know very well about the evils the world faces today because many of them practice Falun Gong, a spiritual belief system that is banned and persecuted in their homeland. Some of the dance segments even depict their faith being persecuted onstage.
Gallagher’s wife, Lesley, an accountant, connected with the dancers because she herself once was a dancer. “I did ballet a long time ago, so I can see the movements are beautiful,” she said.
Actually, Shen Yun’s dance style, called classical Chinese dance, predates ballet by a long time, going back thousands of years, when martial artists performed for lords and ladies in ancient palaces. It was later systematized into what it is today. In fact, some of its movements were borrowed from Western styles, including gymnastics, though they originated in China. Shen Yun now uses it to wordlessly express its values to a global audience.
Reporting by NTD, Ming Li, and Michael Wing.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
