DETROIT—Bill Schofield and his daughter Eva attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Detroit Opera House on Feb. 9 and enjoyed many aspects of the performance.

Mr. Schofield owns a company specializing in disaster relief modular housing for the homeless and refugees. He and his daughter love coming to Shen Yun. “We love it. It’s our fifth year,” he said. “My daughter loves it. It’s become our tradition now, so we come every year now.”

“[Eva] loves dance. The first time we saw it was just [wonderful],” Mr. Schofield said. “We love the Eastern culture. We love the Japanese culture, we love the Chinese culture and Korean. I lived in Japan for years. Now my daughter has the same interest in the East. She loves the dance. She loves the tradition. She loves the culture.”

Ms. Schofield resonated with the piece as dancers made their costumes part of the dance. “I really like the one called ‘Water Sleeves.’ I just really liked it for some reason—it’s so beautiful,” she said. “Everything’s just in perfect unison, and it’s beautiful the way they do it.”

According to Ms. Schofield, it’s more than technical skill that makes the dance so intriguing. The performers seem to include the audience in the life of the dance. She said, “The music is wonderful, and you just are able to recognize how much effort and how much joy they’re having on stage. It’s like you can share in the joy with them.”