“I think it was absolutely amazing. They are so graceful and beautiful. I saw people in there crying. There were different emotions, and it was absolutely lovely,” said Denice Seemiller, a realtor.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Each artist is passionate about this mission, and often the audience can also feel the artists’ dedication.

“You can see the passion and the effort and the energy of the performers during the dancing. The music, it’s all very moving,” said Ray Herrera, a retired army colonel.

“I think that the dancing and the choreography and the fact that they do it new every time was very impressive,” said Mr. Herrera.

Each of Shen Yun’s eight companies has its own live orchestra. The ensemble consists of a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western orchestra.

“I like the blend of the American orchestra with the Chinese flair. It was fantastic,” said Mr. Herrera.

“I love the solo when the lady was playing. I'd never heard anything like it before. It was very nice,” she said.

Shen Yun uses its art for immersive storytelling, and one of the most compelling stories is about the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China today.

“I think that it’s great to be able to bring out some of those issues to light to the public,” said Ms. Herrera.

“[The dance] showed that they didn’t give up, and they just kept fighting, and they stuck to their beliefs,” said Ms. Seemiller.

Although Shen Yun presents some serious topics in its performance, it always ends full of hope and positivity.

“I think it was a fantastic finale to show what China has been and what it can be in the future,” said Mr. Herrera.