Mr. Hanley, who grew up in Germany, said traditions are important, especially in the modern world. “I think we have gotten too far in technology. I like [the] traditions in Germany.”

Ms. Kingston agreed. “I think that if we don’t learn from history, it’s just going to repeat [it] in the future.”

Mr. Hanley said Shen Yun can “bring hope back to the world through tradition. I mean going back to basic things that make people happy.” He noted the dance “where people had cell phones and were bumping into each other. They are so self-absorbed. The further back you go in time, the happier people were.”

Mr. Leong, who is a Chinese American, said, “There’s a lot about Chinese culture that I don’t know” and was impressed by the artistry of the dances. His family had left China before communism took over, but he heard many horror stories about it. “It’s good to see that ... a lot of the culture from before communism has been preserved. That’s the best thing.”

Mrs. Leong noted the contrast in the dances. “I love the combination of strength and weakness, strong and soft. Those contrasts in Chinese culture were very, very inspiring to me. I love the symbol of the plum tree, being the symbol of spring and strength. That’s a beautiful symbol.”

“As a psychiatrist, I believe that there’s more to us than just our physical bodies and our brains. There’s our spirit as well, which is beautiful, and it connects us all as people,” Mr. Leong said.