“I’ve waited for a number of years to see this, and see the original Chinese. I’m blown away,” said Ethne Munden, a Chinese medicine practitioner who attended Shen Yun with her two daughters, Bengie, who is also a Chinese medicine practitioner, and Julian Munden.

“It’s something you feel you want to share with your whole entire family and all your loved ones and you want to spread,” said Julian.

Bengie said she chatted with audience members sitting around her and the family next to hers said they had experienced Shen Yun before and had to come back again.

“I sat next to a couple and they had their little girl there. Her name was Sofia. And when I looked at this little girl, who was probably 4 or 5, because kids don’t lie, and her face was just—‘Oh my! ... This is magic,’ and it was beautiful,” recalled Bengie.

“It’s heartbreaking, but it’s so beautiful,” said Bengie.

“I wish the whole world could embrace the simplicity, without all the trauma that has happened, I don’t even know how to speak,” said Ethne.

“I agree 100 percent. I think our world is in conflict right now, and I think we need to not pay attention to the future information but to learn from who came before us because they have all the answers,” said Julian.

“It’s an energy. It’s a spiritual thing. There are many people with talent, this is something a little bit above and beyond that,” said Bengie. “It’s the most amazing show I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s magical. It’s the most ethereal thing that I’ve seen,” said Ethne.

The footwork used in classical Chinese dance is called yuan chang. It gives the impression of dancers floating across the stage.

“They float, It’s cosmic. I don’t know how to explain it but it touched us. We cried through the whole show,” said Bengie.