“The quality, it’s not even measurable. It’s incredible. It looks like a lifetime of work that they’ve put in. It’s perfection. They’re all tied together. It’s just so graceful and so beautiful,” said Ms. Lopez.

“We drove to Columbia to see it [and] why I wanted to see it is because it’s just visually stunning. It’s beautiful to see the colors, the movement, the grace. And for me, that’s the biggest thing. That’s what I was focused on,” she shared.

Classical Chinese dance demands its artists to be light on their feet. The women must master quick, small steps called “yuan chang” that give the illusion of the dancer floating across the stage.

“It’s just the grace. It’s when the ladies or the gentlemen are moving, and the colors, and the sleeves—that are moving with them, and the dresses and the costumes are flowing. That’s what it is for me,” she said.

“The show exceeded my expectations. It was beautiful. What it offered me was a beautiful evening out with my family to enjoy an art form that we don’t usually get to enjoy,” she said.

Helen Yang and Maile Yang were also in the audience on the evening of Jan. 17, 2024.

“The performance was wonderful, absolutely delightful. Every year I come,” she said.

Shen Yun’s website tells us that martial arts and classical Chinese dance have very similar origins. Ms. Helen Yang praised Shen Yun’s artists for their hard work.

“I think that the performers did wonderfully. I think they should be incredibly proud of themselves. They obviously trained a lot, and I think that what they do is absolutely amazing,” she said.

This year she brought Ms. Maile Yang, who is a dancer, with her.

“It’s very pretty. They have very good technique and [they’re] very flexible. Their jumps are very graceful. It looks effortless, so it’s really enjoyable,” she said.