WATERBURY, Conn.—Jud Perkins saw a lot of performances when he operated the world famous Madison Square Garden arena in New York City in the early 90s. But he experienced something “very different” at a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, Conn., on March 8.

“I think it is a marvelous show, and it is very different from what most Americans see,” Mr. Perkins said at the Saturday evening performance. “It is a very different cultural experience.”

Mr. Perkins managed a renovation of the Madison Square Garden arena as well as day to day operations. He also developed plans for the Sacramento Kings basketball arena and oversaw planning for new arenas for the Florida Panthers and St. Louis Blues hockey clubs. He is currently the principal at Perkins Group LLC.

Shen Yun performances feature the world’s premier classically trained dancers accompanied by a unique East-West orchestra, and dazzling animated backdrops.

Mr. Perkins attended the performance with Pat Duncan, who is the former founder and president of Great American Puzzle Factory Inc. Pat found Shen Yun to be “a very refreshing look.”

“I really like it a lot. The costumes were fabulous,” Pat said. “Everyone was in unison.”

Shen Yun is based in New York and is entirely non-profit and independent, according to the company website. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive a culture that has been nearly lost in China under 60 years of communist rule.

“For 5,000 years divine culture flourished in the land of China,” states the Shen Yun website.

“Humanity’s treasure was nearly lost, but through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is bringing back this glorious culture.”

Reporting by Alec Wang and Ivan Pentchoukov

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.