COSTA MESA, Calif.—Anthony Edwards, attorney, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts for the fourth time this year in Costa Mesa, California.

The reason he keeps returning?

“It’s an experience that you just don’t get any other time in your life, and I just feel like I’m uplifted by it,” Edwards said. “I look forward to it every year.”

This year, he brought his daughter for her birthday, the perfect place to celebrate the special occasion, he said. They saw the performance in Costa Mesa’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts on April 28.

New York-based Shen Yun is the premier classical Chinese dance company formed with a vision to restore traditional Chinese culture on the world stage. It tours the world every year bringing a fresh program consisting of music, dance, and stories showcasing the essence of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.

Edwards, who is director of operations at a finance and law firm, said all the elements in the production made it a world-class act.

“The costumes are spectacular, the movements are incredible, the fusion of the East and West with the orchestra, the music is sensational,” he said.

He lauded the unique sound of Shen Yun’s orchestra, in which Eastern instruments play the melody on top of a resonant classical Western orchestra.

“It’s a beautiful fusion of the two, and you don’t hear it anywhere else,” Edwards said.

“Most of what you see here you never see anywhere else,” he added.

The spiritual element that courses through the program’s songs, stories, and dances, elevates this performance beyond an average piece of entertainment, Edwards said.

“It’s something you don’t see in everyday life,” he said. “There’s so many things going on, so many challenges, so many difficulties, and to come into this environment and just see the love and the joy and all the work that goes into this and the beauty.”

“It’s just something that really touches me.”

The attorney praised Shen Yun’s efforts to bring back China’s ancient culture and share it with a modern audience.

“I think it’s absolutely important,” he said. “I think we’re kind of in an age now where we don’t respect the past as maybe we should. Technology has kind of taken over, and it’s nice to see something that goes back to the roots.”

He added that the beauty and simplicity of the performance was a refreshing escape from the complexities of modern living.

“There’s no one texting during the performance, there’s no one taking selfies, it’s just a chance to go back to what’s really important and I think it’s important to understand your traditions and to honor them.”

Uplifted by his experience, Edwards said he hoped everyone could come see Shen Yun.

“It’s sensational, there’s nothing like it,” he said.

“I just think people have to come and experience this. I think everyone might have a different takeaway, but I don’t think anyone could come to this show and not have a wonderful time.”