SHEN YUN 2025

I cannot believe that it has been fifteen years since I first (and last) saw the beautiful Chinese dance show Shen Yun! I always see so many promos for it each year that I felt like I had been to the presentation more recently than that.

But I’m so glad that I finally attended a performance again, at the Soraya in Northridge the other night, so I can tell you all to not miss it if it appears anywhere near your area. There are several troupes of the company around the world, so most of us have at least one opportunity. (There are a few more dates in various venues here in LA in the next month or so, I believe ending at the Dolby in Hollywood.)

During the show, we learned that “Shen Yun” means “The Beauty of Divine Beings Dancing.” Boy, do they have that right! The dancers are all superior ones, with incredible talent and precision.

I heard constant gasps and oohs and ahhs from the packed audience right from the start, (including from myself!) And all throughout the evening, as well.

It was helpful that two hosts came out in-between each number and explained (both in English and Chinese) what we were about to see. That was definitely a bonus, even though we would have loved the dances without knowing anything about them. The informative duo even explained Chinese dance, telling us that it’s where the flips and acrobatics of the world originated. I knew the origins of it because I had seen Shen Yun those many years ago, but it was a fact that Marc was really interested to learn.

All the dancing, choreography, costumes, and backdrops are stunning. There are so many creative people involved with this show!

And I appreciated that the numbers are varied; some are all girls, some are all guys, most are mixed, some are a bit serious, some are a tad amusing, but all are short and entertaining and have exquisite visuals.

Speaking of those backdrops, my friend Marc and I especially liked when they were animated.

All the numbers had stories, and some even had humor. And there were even a few surprises along the way.

Marc said the gorgeous costumes really add to the overall experience, an assessment with which I totally concur.

He also posited that they have several elderly characters in the numbers because Chinese people seem to respect their elders more than we in America do. If that’s the case, I applaud them for it.

There were two purely musical interludes, one with a soprano singing, and one with a girl playing an erhu, which is a Chinese instrument akin to a violin, but played upright and with only two strings. Both performers were accompanied by a lovely pianist. There were nothing but uber-talented people on that stage!

We loved hearing the live orchestra. And Marc admired the conductor’s great hair.

Occasionally, even with great seats, (which I think are all that the Soraya has!,) I wanted to use my binoculars to see a small detail in the costumes, make-up, or props, but I couldn’t allow myself to because I didn’t want to miss the gorgeous tableau!

I’ll definitely be back in 2026! And I’ll be sure to get there really early again because with Shen Yun, there’s always a very busy and interesting lobby scene. There’s a lot of merchandise to purchase, along with pretty complimentary bookmarks, and pleasant people providing plenty of information.

By the way, after doing my usual post-show research on the production, I realize that there are political and religious aspects to Shen Yun.  But I don’t understand any of that, even in English. I just view the show as colorful entertainment, and enjoyed it as such. I’m always a fan of great dancing, and that’s what this is to me. So I suggest you do the same.

There are a few more dates in SoCal, including Hollywood in early May, but there are also several more Shen Yun troupes around the world! So chances are, you can see all of this beauty somewhere near you, no matter where you are.

For all the info you need, just click here: www.shenyun.com