SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Shares Hope and Light, Says Illinois Theatergoer

Apr 26, 2025

4/26/2025Updated: 4/26/2025

ROSEMONT, Ill.—Charity Grayson had planned to bring her husband, Steve Starcovich, to see Shen Yun Performing Arts for his birthday. Two weeks before the performing arts company would be at the Rosemont Theatre, Mr. Starcovich had a stroke, and he is now recovering, Ms. Grayson explained. The couple’s decision to see Shen Yun felt encouraging and healing.

“It’s always like coming back to your faith and hope and the light,” Ms. Grayson said after the performance on April 25. She said she left the performance with a sense of “hopefulness.”

“It’s really good right now,” she said, especially in light of the stroke, “so hopefulness is very good.”

Mr. Starcovich, an investment analyst, practices Eastern martial arts, and has an interest in the traditional culture from which they originate, so “this is the perfect fit for today,” Ms. Grayson said.

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a mission to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through the arts.

“I really liked it. I liked that there’s a lot of different stories and things told. I thought the singing or the dancing was outstanding,” Mr. Starcovich said.

Ms. Grayson said she loved the dancing and music, and was especially impressed with the bel canto solos.

“It was amazing. I would totally come again next year,” she said. “Perfect, perfect. I'd love to see it again. Dancers were perfect, they’re skilled, amazing.”

Ms. Grayson said there was “a deeper meaning” to the music and dancing, which at several points moved her.

“It was very powerful. I was like teared up at some points. I was like, ‘Oh, so beautiful,’” Ms. Grayson said. She said Shen Yun conveyed hope through faith, “just going back to faith and all of that. It’s good from the heart.”

Reporting by Sherry Dong and Catherine Yang.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.