“I just feel really full of life right now,” he said. “I love the show. It’s absolutely amazing … very uplifting [and] inspiring—just like this purity of spirit.”

“Even just seeing the commercials … it would stir something inside of me, kind of like springtime—a feeling of renewal and faith,” he added.

According to the company’s website, the presented heroes and ancient legends express the most exalted virtues of Chinese civilization that are still relevant to the modern day.

As an actor who starred in the 2017–2018 television series “Unusual Suspects: Deadly Intent,” Mr. Haptonstall was pleasantly surprised by Shen Yun’s storytelling through dance.

“It’s really exciting to have so much of a narrative to hold on to,” he said. “They’re not just performing the dance—they’re actually communicating something inside to the audience.”

“The dancing is phenomenal … it seems athletic but also soft like a poem,” he said. “Each little nuance: some about youth, some about spirit, and overcoming the oppression—I’m excited for more!”

“I’m glad that [Shen Yun] are keeping that fire alive and sharing it with the world.”

He said that the performance, from the choreography and live orchestra to the digital design, “go together so beautifully that it kind of reminds you of a time before life—[a] spiritual life” and that “it feels familiar in a sort of way.”

“It’s more than the dancing: It touches you as a person,” he said. “It kind of opens up your spirit while you’re watching.”