Mr. McLean is married to a Taiwanese lady and has lived for some time in Taiwan. The erhu brought back memories, he said.

Mr. McLean is a solo performer and also part of a popular country music group, The Surreal McCoys. He understood the work and dedication that were required for a live orchestra to perform successfully.

“Absolute discipline, they must be exactly in the right place all the time because it’s such a big, big group. Everyone’s depending on it,” he said.

And the dancers were “fabulous,” said Mr. McLean. “It was hard to know who to look at.”

Shen Yun’s story-based dances recount China’s 5-millennia history and culture. Cherished legends, moral and spiritual teachings, comedy, and more contemporary events are part of Shen Yun’s dance repertoire.

For example, the Tibetan dance called “Snowy Mountain Celebration” was “exciting.” The “Water Sleeves” dance, where the dancers’ long flowing sleeves are exquisitely twirled, was “very pretty,” he said.

Shen Yun had raised issues that were relevant to him, he said.

Mr. McLean said the performance had “cultural significance” as well as highlighting China’s situation today as they “lack of freedom to speak the way they want.”

He said the performers were doing a “beautiful job” and encouraged them to “keep going.”