Shen Yun Is About ‘Being Kind and Compassionate’: Physician

Shen Yun Is About ‘Being Kind and Compassionate’: Physician
Julio Ortiz and Amalia Cardona enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the Kennedy Center Opera House on Jan. 7, 2026. (Weiyong Zhu/The Epoch Times)
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Lawyer Amalia Cardona and physician Julio Ortiz were deeply moved by Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening performance at the Kennedy Center Opera House on Jan. 7. Summing up the experience, Ms. Cardona said, “It’s a masterpiece.”

“I think the show gives you examples of how you can go from the bad to the good, and how you can heal yourself through your emotions and through your compassion,” she said.

Mr. Ortis, too, had a wonderful time. “It was fantastic,” he said as he exited the theater. “I love the choreography, and the 3D was impressive. It gives us a new dimension to staging, and the music was fantastic.”
Founded in 2006 by elite Chinese artists who fled persecution, the New York-based Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving the beauty and virtues of China before communism.

Endowed with 5,000 years of history, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For millennia, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and adhering to strict moral standards, they would be blessed by the divine.

Indeed, for 5,000 years, the country prospered. However, after the communist takeover and the spread of atheism, all this traditional culture was almost totally destroyed.

Mr. Cardona loved the spiritual element of Shen Yun and said, “The message was clear.”

“It’s something that is so spiritual. I think that is very positive for people to watch the show,” she said. “The message was really profound.”

For Mr. Ortis, Shen Yun’s story-based dances, recounting legends from ancient times to the present day, conveyed important moral values.

“What I like the most was in difficult or adverse times, it spoke of tradition and kindness,” Mr. Ortiz said. “I think that’s the greatest message of all, tradition and kindness.”

He said he thought the company’s mission to bring back traditional culture is very important.

“I think in a world that’s a little bit off queue, talking about traditional things brings you back—it centers your life and the focus that you need to have,” he said.

“You need to be kind. Being kind and compassionate, that’s what part of the show is [about]—compassion.”

Reporting by Weiyong Zhu and Jennifer Tseng.

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