NEW YORK—Per Brevig, the conductor of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra and former Metropolitan Opera Orchestra trombone player, said Shen Yun Performing Arts was “wonderful to watch,” at Lincoln Center on Saturday evening.

Mr. Brevig was full of praise for Shen Yun: “Wonderful delightful show, beautiful colors, beautiful costumes. Great dancers—they are not only dancers, they are also acrobats.”

New York-based Shen Yun came together in 2006 with the mission of reviving 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture with dance, music, and a digitally animated backdrop.

This year’s performance features 22 different pieces as well as traditional songs. “In less than ten minutes each, Shen Yun dances recount ancient myths, bygone heroes, or celestial paradises,” according to the Shen Yun website.

As a conductor, Mr. Brevig also had some special comments on the orchestra and music, which accompany the dance pieces.

“The Chinese instruments, they blend it so very well with the Western instruments, so compliments to the composers that they are able to integrate the two kinds of instruments—delightful.”

The New York Performance at the Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater also featured a performance of the Chinese two-stringed erhu. Brevig had heard of the instrument before, but had never seen such an accomplished player.

“The person on stage who played, that’s a real virtuoso that’s very, very difficult—delightful.”

Mr. Brevig also expressed his sympathy that Shen Yun cannot perform in China.

The Shen Yun website says, “Shen Yun is based in New York where its artistic creators are able to freely express themselves and revive their ancient Chinese culture.”

“Such artistic freedom is unfortunately not present in China under the communist regime, which has co-opted and destroyed traditional arts. The courage and outspokenness of our artists is one of the reasons why Shen Yun is so well-loved,” says the website.

Mr. Brevig thinks that Chinese people should be proud of Shen Yun and hopes that they can perform in China one day.

“It is a show of beauty. Chinese artists express themselves so wonderfully and I am just sorry that Chinese people are not able to see this show. So I hope that Chinese people can also see the show and they should be extremely proud of it and they should also have the opportunity to enjoy how I and the audience enjoy it. That’s my wish.”

Reporting by NTD Television and Valentin Schmid

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

Shen Yun Performing Arts is performing at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center through April 28.

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.