Unexpectedly Moved: High-Tech Professional Sees Shen Yun for the First Time
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Program Manager Steve Laskowski attended the opening performance of Shen Yun at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio on Jan. 9, 2026 Sonia Wu/The Epoch Times
SAN ANTONIO—Steve Laskowski, a computer programmer and program manager at an international company, expected an ordinary evening of dance when he attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Tobin Center in San Antonio on Jan. 10. However, he was amazed by the performance, which captivated and even moved him to tears.
Experiencing the world-renowned classical Chinese dance company for the first time, he described the show as “very beautiful, very vibrant,” noting that several pieces left a deep impression on him.
“It was the first time I’ve really heard about it, and the first time I’ve seen the show,” Mr. Laskowski said. “I really enjoyed pretty much every piece, and some of them even brought me slightly to tears.”
Shen Yun, based in New York, is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company. Its mission is to revive through the arts 5,000 years of Chinese civilization—China as it existed before communism.
Since its founding in 2006, the company has grown from one to eight equally sized touring companies, sharing divinely inspired traditional Chinese culture with nearly one million people worldwide each year.
Mr. Laskowski found the performance both entertaining and educational.
“I learned about where Chinese culture came from—it’s been an experience across millennia,” he said.
He praised the dancers for their extraordinary skills, highlighting memorable performances such as the Monkey King and an old man who suddenly transforms into a young man. “That was phenomenal,” Mr. Laskowski said. Even after the show, like many other audience members, he was still wondering how they had pulled it off.
“The music’s amazing. I love orchestra music, and they’re just fantastic,” he said. “They’re timed perfectly with all the moves.”
He was able to identify some distinctly Chinese elements in the music, likely produced by a pipe-like instrument. “I love it,” he said.
“That persecution piece … that’s where I kind of teared up,” Mr. Laskowski said. “You could feel the emotion behind the mother and what she was going through. It really pulls at your heartstrings.”
As a Christian, he reflected on the historical persecution of Christians. Seeing the story of faith being persecuted was an eye-opener for him. “I’m completely against any kind of religious persecution—it’s wrong on every level, it’s evil on every level. They portrayed it perfectly, showing the audience how this should never happen,” he said.
Overall, Shen Yun was a delightful and unexpected experience for Mr. Laskowski.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” he said. “I knew it was a dance performance, and that was it. I never read up on it or heard much about it beforehand, so I’m probably one of the rare ones in the audience.”
He was deeply impressed by Shen Yun’s artistry and dedication to bringing China’s ancient traditions to life, describing the experience as both “awesome” and “amazing.”
