FORT MYERS, Fla.—Shen Yun Performing Arts captivated the Fort Myers audience on its opening day at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.

Retired real estate developer Tee Baur said he enjoyed the different aspects of Shen Yun. “Great costumes, great dancing, choreography was great,” said Mr. Baur, who was the chairman and CEO of Baur Properties. He was accompanied by his wife, Shellie Baur.

Shen Yun Performing Arts is a classical Chinese dance and music company on a mission to revive China’s divinely inspired culture. The New York-based company also features many unique aspects, including an orchestra that combines classical Western instruments with Chinese instruments, animated digital backdrops, and hundreds of colorful handmade costumes.

Mr. Baur said he found the backdrops, which produce effects that interact with dancers on the stage, to be very engaging.

“The scenery, the ocean … the waves coming in—it was incredible,” he said, referring to one of the scenes in the dance Ne Zha Churns the Sea, which shows the Chinese legend about demigod Ne Zha taking on the evil Dragon King in a seaside village.

Mrs. Baur, who works in interior design, admired the backdrops as well. “Love the scenery—fabulous,” she said.

George Beal, a retired attorney who accompanied the Baurs, admired how characters would fly in from the backdrops and then suddenly come to life on stage during the dance performances. He called the effect marvelous.

With reporting by Marie Yeung

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

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.