The classical Chinese dance and music company Shen Yun Performing Arts will begin its 2025 world tour just before Christmas. Since its founding in 2006, the company has captivated audiences worldwide, gaining acclaim from the art world’s elite. What explains its exceptional success?
“It was wonderful, not only the music. The beautiful orchestra played wonderfully, and the dancing is superb, and the visual effects are just striking,” said Arbie Orenstein, award-winning musicologist, writer, and pianist, after watching the company’s 2024 performance in New York. “I would urge everyone who has the slightest interest in this type of culture, this is a must!”
“I love the show. I thought it was great. The costumes, the music, the dancing, all of the performers are just first-rate,” said Douglass Stewart, eight-time Emmy award nominee and Hollywood producer.
Shen Yun showcases classical Chinese dance, which has been refined over thousands of years, with profound meaning and extraordinary expressiveness.
“On the surface, the movements appear to be fleeting, but every still shot of the movement is incredibly beautiful,” said Martina Basile, a professional ballet dancer, after watching the show in Turin, Italy, earlier this year. “I notice that even a slight tap of the finger on the floor results from hours of intense practice.”
“Really wonderful to see it coming from their passion, of their heart and their soul, into the ends of their fingers, and it goes right up with their eye line as well. So it was really wonderful,” said Karen Davies Thomas, a dance academy founder in Toronto, Canada.
Bringing back a forgotten traditional vocal technique, Shen Yun singers captivate audiences with performances that are both powerful and deeply moving.
“Oh my gosh, the baritone! My God, he filled the whole theater with his voice. It was incredible!” exclaimed Stewart.
“Even in Italy, the heart of opera, hearing the Chinese tenor and soprano from Shen Yun was a delightful surprise. In addition, the orchestra’s musical accompaniment was fabulous,” said Davide Fusco, artistic director of a theatrical productions company, after watching the show in Parma, Italy.
Bringing to life a lost culture through beautiful art, Shen Yun is not just a visual and auditory feast; it is also a spiritual one.
“It is a message of peace, serenity, harmony, purity, and order,” said Basile.
“Magnificent. Just magnificent. Shen Yun brought culture—Chinese culture—to life through this performance,” said Fusco. “Definitely a must-see, not to be missed.”
Shen Yun’s 2025 tour will debut on Dec. 23 in Atlanta, Georgia, and simultaneously in Nagoya, Japan.
