Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“They mentioned that the classical dance techniques went back hundreds of years, and it involved a lot of kinds of acrobatics that were kind of the origins of it,” Mr. McClain said.

Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance as its vessel to tell stories from Chinese history, literature, myth, and legend. Mr. McClain enjoyed the dance stories, “Pigsy Joins the Journey” and “Story of Village Boy and the Fairy.”

“They had the story of the star-crossed lovers ... it was really fun to see. It’s fun to just watch some folklore play out,” he said.

One dance that left a deep impression on Mr. McClain was the ‘Water Sleeves.’

“It’s magnificent. They were replicating the effects of water with their sleeves. They had their sleeves going up and down, and it really created just a really good effect to what they were trying to accomplish,” Mr. McClain praised.

Shen Yun’s live orchestra is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble.

One instrument that shone brightly under the spotlight was the two-stringed erhu.

“It was great. The person who played [the erhu], of all the performers at the very end. ... She got the loudest applause, which was very impressive what she did,” Mr. McClain remarked.

Shen Yun’s singers are trained in bel canto technique, and the digital backdrop provides a translation of the Chinese text being sung.

“Some of the singers shared a message in the words about atheism and evolution, how that sometimes can be to our detriment if it causes us to kind of fall away from that divinity in itself. So I thought it was really important that [Shen Yun] pointed you in some of those traditional ways, taught you to remember what was important,” he said.