‘Very Uplifting’: Shen Yun Delights Theatergoers in Glasgow
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(L to R) Ross Cormack, Tom McComb, and Robert Campbell attend Shen Yun Performing Arts with friends at SEC Armadillo, in Glasgow, Scotland, on Feb. 6, 2026. Jenna Zhan/The Epoch Times
GLASGOW, UK—After watching several dozen classical Chinese dancers manifest ancient myths for two hours onstage Friday evening, Robert Campbell, a physicist, said he felt his soul lifted “to a higher plane.”
The New York-based dancers from Shen Yun Performing Arts leapt, twirled, and even flew at the SEC Armadillo on Feb. 6, and Mr. Campbell brought a few friends to watch.
Mr. Campbell saw the opening scene depicting the tale of the universe’s creation according to Chinese mythology. He saw the mysterious Monkey King fly and transform into multifarious beasts—with no regard to the laws of physics. Then, during the intermission, he shared his experience with The Epoch Times.
“It’s very colorful, it’s very energetic. It’s lifting my soul to a higher plane, in fact,“ he said. ”Yes, I’m really enjoying it.”
As a physicist, Mr. Campbell was fascinated by Shen Yun’s innovative use of technology. Its animated 3D backdrop interacts seamlessly with the heroes and divine beings depicted, as they “fly” from the stage into the digital landscape only to reappear in the flesh. Mr. Campbell called it “very impressive.”
“I was looking forward to seeing a monkey performance,” he said, adding that he remembers watching myths about the Monkey King adapted from China’s classic novel “Journey to the West” on TV as a boy. “They did part of it in the show tonight, which was being born from an elemental stone, and from the stone came Monkey!”
Shen Yun, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, showcasing classical Chinese dance across the globe, is on an ambitious mission of cultural revival. Treasuring China’s ancient tales, Shen Yun aims to revitalize the values in China that were “almost lost” during the devastating Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.
China was once called “the land of the divine,” the company website says, and its values were steeped in a deep reverence for the divine—until religion became persecuted under communism.
“Emperors sought to follow the Way of Heaven, and daily life was replete with rituals connecting the human and the divine,” Shen Yun’s website says.
“All the sort of heaven and earth stuff I’m sort of quite familiar with,” Mr. Campbell said. “It’s very uplifting, actually. It’s a very nice, friendly performance and something you could bring kids to.”
Watching the same show in another part of the theater on Friday, Ian Wiseman, a religious minister, said he wasn’t expecting this spiritual message. “Towards the culmination of the first part, there were very significant messages there for people to hear,” he said. “It was unexpected for me. I appreciate the situation in China at the moment.”
Suely and Ian Wiseman attend Shen Yun at the SEC Armadillo, in Glasgow, Scotland, on Feb. 6, 2026. Jenna Zhan/The Epoch Times
Religious persecution continues under communism in China today, according to Shen Yun, which was another message delivered onstage. Many of Shen Yun’s dancers adhere to the Falun Gong faith, which teaches living in alignment with truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Some Shen Yun performers actually fled China to America to escape persecution for their faith. One dance segment depicts Falun Gong believers’ courage in the face of persecution in China.
“That is a concern and should be a concern, especially to people who believe in freedom and liberty,” Mr. Wiseman said.
“Over and above that, the whole cultural experience was so colorful and very clearly represented traditions that are being lost. So well done to everybody who’s brought this to our attention. It really has been a marvelous show!”
