SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘There’s Nothing Prettier Than What I Saw’ in Shen Yun: Business Owner

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‘There’s Nothing Prettier Than What I Saw’ in Shen Yun: Business Owner
John Hagenback enjoyed Shen Yun's matinee at the Center for the Performing Arts, in San Jose, on Dec. 31, 2023. Nan She/The Epoch Times

SAN JOSE, Calif.—General contractor and business owner John Hagenback thoroughly enjoyed himself at Shen Yun’s matinee on New Year’s Eve at the Center for the Performing Arts.

It was his second time watching Shen Yun and he had promised enthusiastically that he would be returning “every year for as long as [he’s] here on earth.”

“I didn’t know what [Shen Yun] was like until I saw it last year. Then, of course, we thought we’d just come every year because it’s just so good. It’s not a repeat—it’s always fresh,” Mr. Hagenback stated.

“I just loved everything about it.”

Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s top classical Chinese dance and music company. Presenting a brand new set of programs each year, the company has been delighting audiences around the world since 2006.
According to its website, Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.

The artists are slated to perform in over 200 cities across five continents in their 2024 touring season.

“[The show] was excellent—Last year was excellent and this year was excellent,” Mr. Hagenback expressed. “There is nothing prettier than what I saw here.”

He especially loved the spiritual message of the performance and agreed with the idea that there is “a Creator who wants us to live a better life.”

Also in the audience was Jeff Peck, the CEO of a non-profit construction company. He, too, thought the performance was fantastic.
Mr. Peck generally doesn’t like to have social issues brought into art performances, but he said Shen Yun’s message to bring awareness to human rights issues in modern-day China was tastefully done.

“I’m glad [Shen Yun] got into a lot of the underlying thing that they had to deal with in China,” he expressed.

“It was good. I’m familiar with it and I totally empathize with them. I think it’s horrible [in China,] to be persecuting [innocent] people like this.”

Referring to Shen Yun’s mission to revive China’s 5,000 years of traditional culture back to its pre-communist glory, Mr. Peck said the performers “did a very good job.”

“It’s just amazing—the design and dance and colors—it’s a feast for the eyes.”

Reporting by Nan Shu and Jennifer Tseng.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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