NEW YORK, New York —- On April 6, at the prestigious David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, Shen Yun Performing Arts dazzled its audience with a blend of classical Chinese dance, vibrant costuming, live orchestration, and deeply spiritual storytelling. For many in the crowd, it was more than just a night of theater — it was a transcendent experience.
Founded in 2006 and based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. The company aims to revive 5,000 years of traditional culture and values through immersive performances to showcase China’s authentic heritage prior to the ravages of communism. The company currently has eight equally-sized troupes that tour and perform across the globe simultaneously. It puts on a brand new production every year.
‘The best theatrical show I’ve ever seen’
Eric Buvron, a cybersecurity professional from New York, was left visibly moved after attending his first Shen Yun performance.
“It was the best theatrical show I have ever seen,” Buvron said. “It’s really powerful because it connects with the Creator. And then what’s even also powerful is the Chinese written language — based 2500 B.C.”
Buvron emphasized the spiritual message running through the performance. “This is an excellent theatrical production, like I said, the best that I’ve seen and it really shows the connection that man has with the Creator and the Creator wanting to come back for us to be back in heaven,” Buvron said. “This is a very important thing because there are many powerful forces today that want to prevent that. But with the Creator, all things are possible.”
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Though he praised the entire show, Buvron said a highlight for him was the solo tenor performance: “That was the moment. It was fantastic. Everything was excellent.”
His wife, Armell Buvron, echoed the sentiment. “The show was very well executed and has different messages from enlightenment and politics. The evilness of man as well and the Divine, just the beauty of what man can do in the arts.”
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‘Beautiful scenery, beautiful performance’
Chris and Susan Verso, from New York, also came to see Shen Yun for the first time after years of noticing the posters around the city.
When asked what segments of the show he enjoyed the most, Chris, a crane operator, said, “We loved them all! The last one was especially nice. Beautiful show, it was incredible”
Susan laughed as she recalled a light-hearted moment from the show. “I did like the one with the pig,” she said. “But, I loved it all.”
Both agreed they would recommend Shen Yun to others. “Definitely come,” said Chris. “It’s an incredible show. Beautiful scenery, beautiful performance, everything.”
‘I Felt Like My Soul Was Being Healed’
For Robert and Caroline Delgaudio, the show struck a deep spiritual chord. “As people of faith — we’re both Christians — the oppression of people of faith spoke to us a lot,” said Robert. “We were kind of curious what the ‘yellow book’ represented… I don’t know if it was a specific book in the Chinese culture , but to us we kind of interpret it as the book of faith versus the book of atheism and worldliness, and so we appreciated that spiritual aspect of the show.”
“We believe in a Creator. So we were very touched by that aspect of the show,” Caroline added.
Robert agreed. “As Christians, we are always reaching toward God, so we were very touched by that aspect of the show.”
“I felt like my soul was being healed as I watched,” Robert added.
Caroline was particularly impressed by the erhu, a traditional two-string Chinese instrument. “I wasn’t expecting just two strings to have so much power,” she said. “It was beautiful.”
For Robert, the moment the curtains first rose was unforgettable. “I didn’t know what to expect, so when the curtains rose up and all those dancers were in their positions it was just such a beautiful scene. It was like watching flowers and trees in nature, just sort of moving to the wind. And there was a moment where they all opened, as if they were a flower.”
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An Invitation to Return
For many in the audience, one thing was clear: this would not be their last Shen Yun performance.
“I can’t wait to see it again next year,” said Eric Buvron. “It’s very powerful. To me, it was a really special connection showing the Creator and it’s just very, very powerful. What they said is absolutely true, communism, evolutionism, is of the devil. It’s really… the Creator… created everything, including man.”
From spiritual insight to cultural celebration, Shen Yun continues to inspire and move audiences across the globe, one breathtaking performance at a time.
Shen Yun will perform at Lincoln Center through April 12. For more information, including tickets, seating, and availability, please visit the official website here.
John Dong contributed to this report.
