“It’s an amazing [performance]—more than I thought it would be. It’s been a true blessing,” he said.

“I’m a man of faith and I believe that it’s important to live by faith—I think that the faith is instilled in [Shen Yun.] There is a divine God. God wants to be with us and walk with us, and for us to do good. And so I think that the goodness … is reflected. [Shen Yun] is magnificent entertainment but [a] spiritual adventure,” he said.

“I think that we have to hold fast to doing good and doing good for others, because I think there’s a temptation,” he said. He believes Shen Yun transmitted a message about temptation.

“We must resist the temptation to do evil and I think that we [must] always strive to do good, and I think that pleases the Gods and the God that I serve. I think that the God that’s reflected in [Shen Yun] wants us to do good and be fruitful on this earth because this is a trial for the next life,” said Mr. Voigts.

“It’s a beautiful [performance],” said Mr. Voigts. He was particularly taken by the dance “Plum Blossom in Spring,” describing the beautiful pinks as being amazing. The athleticism of the dancers was also magnificent and Shen Yun is a testimony to the beauty of the ancient Chinese culture, he said.

“It was beautiful,” said Ms. Brunner, who was attending Shen Yun for the first time. Ms. Bruner is a singer who also plays the piano, guitar, and drums.

She praised the “Plum Blossom in Spring” and “Water Sleeves” dances. “They just really stood out to me—with the colors and their costumes,” she said.

“They are very, very good, world-class. It was [an] amazing combination. They’re very in sync with the performance,” said Mr. Tafolla. Mr. Tafolla is an instrumental player who has taught in countries worldwide.

Mr. Tafolla was also familiar with the culture in today’s China, as he had visited the mainland on many occasions, staying for extended periods of time. He was very pleased that Shen Yun was reviving China’s ancient culture.

“I liked the interaction between the screen and the dancers on stage … I hadn’t seen that before. So I thought it was really great,” he said.

Mr. Tafolla connected with the spirituality in Shen Yun. “And I think that is the part that has drawn me to [Shen Yun] before. Several years ago, when I saw it, it was a very spiritual event.”

The persecution of the ancient spiritual practice Falun Dafa is also featured in the dances. Falun Dafa originates from the Buddhist tradition and is based on the values of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.

“For awareness,” he said, “Because it’s something that’s not talked about. And in today’s … Western culture people typically go on about their lives and as long as it’s not affecting them on a daily basis, it doesn’t resonate with them. I was taken by it, it really broke my heart.”

Ms. Brunner agreed. “I wasn’t expecting that. But it’s very important to know.”

“We all need hope, joy, and we need to have a vision for the future. And this is a wonderful thing for people to come out and see and to experience a new culture. And again, I’m surprised and very glad that they are showing a different side of the culture that I wasn’t expecting,” said Mr. Tafolla.

Mr. Tafolla said that Shen Yun improves year by year while Ms. Brunner congratulated the performers and said she would be coming back.