NEW YORK—Desiree Bernstein, director and owner of the Mathnasium education center, was impressed with the production, skill, and themes presented by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on April 20.

“The dance and the costumes are really magnificent,” said Ms. Bernstein.

Ms. Bernstein attended ministry school and is a sworn chaplain in the state of New York.

“I liked the theme of pointing people to the creator, especially in these troubling times,” said Ms. Bernstein. “It is good for the soul to look up to the creator.”

The mission of New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts is to revive 5,000 years of China’s divinely inspired culture. This culture is nearly lost in China today after decades of destruction by the Chinese Communist Party.

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

Ms. Bernstein also felt a similar theme in the performance.

“It seems to me there is a revival happening,” Ms. Bernstein said.

Ms. Bernstein said she doesn’t know much about China, but is aware that the Chinese regime persecutes Christians. She knows that despite the persecution, people have not changed their minds about their faith.

“It’s very strong,” said Ms. Bernstein. “I would even be so bold as to say there is no stopping it. There is no stopping the people from going to God.”

Shen Yun’s 2013 program features two dances about the persecution of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that has been persecuted in China for more than a decade.

These dances were the most impressive for Andy McCabe, a college professor.

“What touched me the most was Falun Gong,” said Mr. McCabe. “That’s the thing that’s closest to my heart because I know what’s going on in China.”

In one of the dances, Falun Gong practitioners who seek to tell the truth about the persecution, stand up to police officers on Tiananmen Square. 

Also attending the performance on Saturday was Khalid Samy, a math professor at the City University of New York. Mr. Samy said that it was his first time seeing classical Chinese dance.

“I was impressed,” Mr. Samy said. “It was perfect for me.”

Throughout different dynasties and eras, the Chinese culture inspired a profound system of concepts such as respect for the heavens, and virtues that include benevolence, wisdom, and sincerity, according to Shen Yun’s website.

Mr. Samy said that anybody can understand the culture in Shen Yun. 

“This spiritual feeling is universal,” he said. “There is something deeper in this performance.”

Reporting by by NTD Television, Tracey Zhu, Zachary Stieber, and Ivan Pentchoukov

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.