SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Welsh Choir Chairman Impressed With Shen Yun’s Coordination and Discipline

Mar 27, 2026

3/27/2026Updated: 3/27/2026

SWANSEA, UK— Geoffrey Edward Smallbone, an 81-year-old choir chairman and stage manager, said he was deeply impressed by the skill of Shen Yun’s dancers after attending the performance for the second time.

Mr. Smallbone, a former engineer with the UK Atomic Energy Authority, now serves as chairman of Côr Meibion De Cymru (South Wales Male Choir), a traditional Welsh cultural group known for its touring performances promoting Welsh choral music. He attended Shen Yun’s matinee at the Swansea Building Society Arena in Swansea on March 26.

Having first seen Shen Yun in Birmingham around 2008, Mr. Smallbone said the performance continues to leave a strong impression. He expressed particular admiration for the artists’ precision and discipline. “I love the coordination and the discipline,” he said. “With choirs, you need discipline, and I just think that’s something I can certainly take. Absolutely stunning.”

“To reach that level of artistry takes an awful lot of hard work,” he added. “It’s not something you can just decide to do—it must take years of training. They are so agile … they can dance six feet off the ground from a stand, and land so softly. Fantastic.”

He was equally struck by the visual presentation. The costumes, he said, were “pretty beyond belief … the colors are stunning.” He also praised the production’s innovative digital backdrop. “I was impressed last time, and I was impressed this time too,” he said. “To see them disappear and then fly through the air—it’s very clever.”

Shen Yun’s patented, high-tech animated backdrop complements and synchronizes with the live performance on stage, creating a visually engaging experience. This seamless coordination often brings big surprises, delighting the audience.

Headquartered in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts is dedicated to reviving 5,000 years of divinely inspired civilization and presenting the splendor of China before communism.

Through the art of classical Chinese dance, Shen Yun showcases the beauty of China’s heritage while revealing the destructive reach of the Chinese Communist Party. Since coming to power, the regime has actively distorted and destroyed cultural traditions, from the Cultural Revolution to the persecution of faith groups.

Drawing on his own cultural background, Mr. Smallbone reflected on the importance of preserving tradition. “These cultures have been around for thousands of years, and modern culture seems to want to suppress that,” he said. “I think that’s so sad. In Wales, our traditions—like choirs—have carried on for years without that kind of pressure. But it sounds like in China there is a feeling that the past needs to be compressed.” He added that it is important to spread awareness of Chinese spirituality.

As a choir chairman and stage manager, he said he particularly appreciated the coordination behind the scenes. “I’m a stage manager, so I get people in the right place at the right time,” he said. “I really appreciate what went on in there.”

Following the performance, Mr. Smallbone said his thoughts turned to his family. “I was sitting there thinking—I must tell them about this,” he said, referring to his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in Brighton, who all enjoy dance. “I think it’s something that all three of them would really enjoy.”

Reporting by Shannon Ooi and Olivia Li.

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