SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

World Champion Stéphane Lambiel Impressed by Shen Yun’s Precision and Emotion

Feb 22, 2026

2/22/2026Updated: 2/23/2026

LAUSANNE, Switzerland—When a former Swiss world champion figure skater attends a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts, his perspective on the immense work behind the show is undoubtedly different from that of most other audience members.

“I really liked the overall sensitivity of all the artists. It was very delicate, with a lot of precision,” notes Stéphane Lambiel. This Swiss figure skater was twice a world champion in 2005 and 2006, a silver medalist at the 2006 Olympic Games, and a nine-time Swiss champion between 2001 and 2010.

He found the atmosphere of the show, as a whole, very special, enjoying every aspect of this performance, combining classical Chinese dance and music, presented by the New York-based company.

“The colors, the music, the atmosphere were truly magical, and I wanted to touch the fabrics of those magnificent costumes,” he explained.

Shen Yun costumes, made primarily of silk and inspired by traditional attire from various Chinese dynasties, ethnic costumes, and mythological celestial garments, combine historical authenticity, rich colors, and fluidity on stage to enhance the dancers’ movements.

“For me, there’s a whole story behind every painting,” says the figure skater, drawing on his experience.

With his experience, the former world champion naturally appreciates the true value of “the work behind artists who have learned choreography, worked on it, and then put it on stage.”

He also thinks about “all the people behind the scenes, whom we don’t see on stage but who undoubtedly do a tremendous amount of work, I imagine, whether it’s lighting, set design, choreography, all the technical aspects, logistics, etc.”

Every year since 2006, Shen Yun has created an entirely new show, with new choreography, music, costumes, and sets, rehearsed for about six months before the start of the world tour.

“It takes a huge amount of work to put on a show like this, so the fact that we can set everything up and then make it look so easy, when in fact there’s a lot of work behind the scenes, is quite exceptional,” he said.

Today, Shen Yun Performing Arts comprises eight separate companies that tour simultaneously around the world, each with its own dancers, musicians, and technical crew, in order to present the new annual program to an international audience.

Another aspect particularly struck Stéphane Lambiel: “the calm that reigned throughout the show, but with a great deal of precision and professionalism.”

“I really loved the pianist, precisely because of her sensitivity, her ear, and the calmness she radiated, while at the same time conveying such passion,” he said.

Shen Yun’s soundscape blends the tones of traditional Chinese instruments and Western music in a unique orchestra, while the accompanying pianist and other soloists enrich the ensemble with sensitive and expressive performances.

The renowned figure skater was deeply moved by the traditional values conveyed by Shen Yun, which he found inspiring.

“There was a lot of education in each painting, a lot of morals, values,” he notes. “These are important values to share.”

“I think that seeing beautiful things is also something that inspires us, that allows us to project ourselves, and that allows us to dream, to desire this excellence,” he continues.

“History teaches us many things. There are good sides and bad sides, but ultimately, beauty prevails, and seeing it on stage like this is something that is very inspiring.”

According to Shen Yun’s official website, the show aims to revive thousands of years of traditional Chinese culture in order to inspire and uplift audiences by offering them an artistic experience filled with joy, beauty, and universal human values.

“I think that what we need most today is love, sharing, true values in life, simple things, family, and friendship. I think that we don’t emphasize these values enough, in fact. We always try to show the best, to want more, always more, always more. ... But in fact, it’s these values that make life beautiful and that we also have beautiful things around us,” said Mr. Lambiel.

The name Shen Yun can be translated as “the beauty of divine beings dancing,” reflecting the idea of artistic expression inspired by the divine through dance and music.

The presence of the divine in the show prompted Stéphane Lambiel to reflect on the subject. For him, the question of belief is a very personal one.

“I think the fact that we are here is clearly the force of nature. And that force is within us,” says the former world champion.

“In this show, there is clearly a strong divine presence. That divinity is represented in a certain form in the show, but in reality, we all carry God’s grace or divine beauty within us,” says the former world champion. “No matter how we imagine this divinity, it is within us.”

“Seeing a show like this is clearly a great source of inspiration,” said Mr. Lambiel.

Reporting by Nathalie Dieul and translated from the French language Epoch Times by Sonia Rouleau.