Shen Yun Performing Arts 2025 started off its San Jose performances—the first city to get the experience in California.
Based in New York, the company’s mission is to revive authentic Chinese culture through classical Chinese dance and music.
Mike Banda, a local entrepreneur, said “I think it’s a great performance, all of it. I really do. I think it’s awesome.”
He saw the performance at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts on Dec. 26. “I think everybody should come and watch it,” said Banda.
Anneke Banda, deputy district attorney at Multnomah County DA’s Office in Oregon, said, “The [performers] seemed very well trained and really skillful.”
Ermes Becerra, executive director at a bank, said he had never experienced something like a Shen Yun performance but that it was a pleasant experience, “and how very enlightening it was.”
Drawing inspiration from ancient China’s 5,000 years of heritage, each performance holds a theme of spirituality—a value rooted in traditional Chinese culture.
“As a very spiritual person, I definitely do practice my own religion as well,” said Becerra.
“There is some commonality—really having the same message of trying to go back to heaven. So, I really like that message,” he said.
Gent Bond, an HR business partner at Paychex said she felt the dancers were “giving all that they have.”
She said she felt the dancers were trying to reach the audience with the Divine aspect of life and that “modern society doesn’t teach us that anymore.
“So, having this kind of show and reminding us that there’s that part of life—I think that’s more important for me.”
David Lam contributed to this report.
NTD News, San Jose, California
