LAS VEGAS—Cheryl Nelms and her husband Todd Nelms, IT team leader, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Las Vegas on March 7, 2026.

After seeing the advertisements for Shen Yun, Mrs. Nelms wanted to see Shen Yun and told her husband, “We gotta go.”

“My husband surprised me with tickets to the show because we’ve seen the advertisements on TV and they’re astounding,” she said.

“It was beautiful,” she added, “the colors are so vibrant [and] the stories are really entertaining.”

Aside from it being “eye candy,” Mrs. Nelms said, “it’s a nice way to escape today’s world … to see something so … prophetic.”

“Times are tough right now, and it was just a great escape,” she added, “it brought tears in the eyes … good energy.”

“It’s amazing that the human body can actually do what they do on stage,” Mrs. Nelms said, “they make it look so easy.”

“We were so intrigued [that] we were leaning forward and just wanting more and grasping every aspect of the entire show,” she added.

He said that modern people “with all the distractions and tech” forget about their connection to the divine. “Getting back to that is a beautiful thing,” he added.

“It gives me a really good feeling about the divine part … it’s enlightening,” Mr. Nelms said.

“I feel different after seeing the show … enlightened … just a different perspective now,” he added.

“I think everyone should see this show,” he said.

“Especially now that times are so tough … it’s something that would just bring everybody back to where we should be,” Mrs. Nelms said.

Karina Pera, an aesthetician, and Don Hendren, a retired company director, also saw Shen Yun for the first time at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Las Vegas on March 7, 2026.

“It’s just a very great experience … and I really enjoy learning about the culture,” Ms. Pera said.

Since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006, the company has grown from 1 to 8 equally large companies that tour the world simultaneously with a mission to revive the traditional culture of China. The age-old culture has been on the brink of extinction since the Chinese communist regime seized power in 1949.

“I think that’s very bold and that’s very strong, and I think it should be promoted,” Ms. Pera said, “people [should] be able to see what the culture means and just try to keep it alive … and the only way you keep it alive is through these shows and through history and through the people.”

Ms. Pera commends Shen Yun and their performers for keeping these traditions alive onstage.

“You guys are doing … a great job,” she said, “it takes a lot of pride … to show the real Chinese history and tradition.”

“People can make a decision and a choice to accept the tradition, not what [communist China] is right now, and I think that’s great that they can see the difference,” she added, “I’m very happy that I was able to see this performance.”

“It’s beautiful, it’s fantastic … and it’s a tremendous performance,” Mr. Hendren said, “everybody should see it.”