Audience: Shen Yun an Experience of Body, Mind, and Spirit

Jun 17, 2022Shen Yun

During the second weekend of June, Shen Yun performed in five cities around the world.

In Philadelphia, Rick Jensen and his wife Laurie came to watch the performance.

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Rick Jensen, radio host of WDEL.

"I've wanted to see this for five years. And this is my first time seeing Shen Yun," said Laurie Jensen. "The athleticism, those years of study they must do, and the energy where they have to get it from is amazing."

"It's very enlightening and invigorating," said Cathy Sweeney, former professor at Johns Hopkins University.

"It was a very magical, skilled, delightful, magnificent, elegant, creative performance," said Benjamin Markham, president of Cimarron.

In Buffalo, New York, an IEP senior lecturer from the University of Central Arkansas said the performance is like a painting. "It's like a painting. It's like you're watching a visual painting and dance," said Cheryl Streiff. "It’s really beautiful. I can't express how much I enjoyed it."

In Italy, an artist from Milan said the performance was absolutely beautiful. "[it's] a harmony of colors, music and movement that absolutely are fantastic." said Veronica Dell’oro. "I'm getting goosebumps as I tell you this."

For many, Shen Yun is not only a dance performance—it is an experience for the body, mind, and spirit.

"Just very, very relaxed. I felt like my blood pressure went down," said Chris Kafura, an executive director of engineering who saw the performance in Indianapolis, Indiana. "After tonight, I'm convinced that it has healing powers."

"Let's say it's a spiritual experience," said artist Cinzia Collu, who saw the show in Italy. "I even found myself looking for my breath because I couldn't find it anymore. I was left holding my breath.."

"It's the messaging and an art form that will just lift you up and take you away," said Laurie Jensen.

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive genuine traditional Chinese culture—before communism.

"I think it's a great mission because ... my personal hope was always to see China have a cultural revival of their past culture, and I hope they do," said Markham.

"We support everything that it stands for. We support China before communism and would love to see it come back to its full glory," said Laurie Jensen.

"The persecution and genocide of the Falun Gong, Falun Dafa, and the Uyghurs must end," added Rick Jensen. "And I'm so glad that this performance is here to spread the word because it's so important to so many millions of people here as well as China."

Ancient Chinese culture placed great emphasis on the divine. Shen Yun aims to keep this tradition alive today, portraying values such as faith, benevolence, and respect for the heavens.

"I think that the stories are so important because of the messages that they give," said Streiff. "And it's really wonderful to feel the heartfelt kind of message of compassion and also trying to do the right thing in daily life. And watching the heroes struggle with evil and with forces of darkness and be triumphant, it's very inspiring."

"The show was uplifting and gave hope," said Lola Dubenko, a medical examiner. "The actors put their hearts and souls into the show. It's part of their lives and their traditions."

One of the performances was a baritone solo.

"It's very inspiring, the line where it says—I'm paraphrasing—but you can't take your personal belongings, your material things with you to the other side. It really makes you stop and think about what's important in life. And I think that's the message I'm taking away tonight.," said Mary Celani, an Emmy Award-winning journalist.

"I really like how Shen Yun shows the battle between good and evil, and in the end, good always triumphs over evil," she added.

NTD News, New York

NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, covering audience reactions since 2006.