NEWARK, N.J.—Blown away by the visuals and the sounds, Srujal Parikh praised Shen Yun Performing Arts for exceeding his expectations.

“The way they choreograph the whole show, it’s mesmerizing,” Mr. Parikh said. “It’s way beyond expectation.”

Mr. Parkikh, vice president of Federation of Indian Associations, the largest non-profit umbrella organization in the tri-state area, took in the performance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on the evening of Friday, April 11, 2014 with his wife, Krena Parikh.

Mrs. Parikh agreed with her husband that the show was a pleasant surprise.

Srujal Parikh and his wife, Krena Parikh, enjoy Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J., on April 11, 2014. (Ivan Pentchoukov/Epoch Times)

“It was really exciting, I never expected this,” Mrs. Parikh said. For her, everything about the show stood out—“the costumes, the stage, sound.”

Shen Yun is a New York-based company that was established in 2006 with the mission of reviving traditional Chinese culture.

Shen Yun is composed of four dance companies and accompanying orchestras that tour the world simultaneously. The New York Company that is performing in Newark is now in its final leg of the 2014 North America tour.

As vice president of the Federation of Indian Associations, Mr. Parikh knows what it takes to put on a show for people and make it an engaging learning experience, as he’s part of the team organizing the annual India Parade on Madison Avenue in New York. It is the largest parade of its kind outside of India.

Mr. Parikh said he would definitely recommend Shen Yun to any of his friends.

“This is great show to be seen, and to learn about Chinese culture,” he said.

Making the Connection

Another family, Ghassan Chehade and his wife Inya Chehade, took in the performance Friday with their son Adrian, who was celebrating his 12th birthday.

Mrs. Chehade works as the executive director at a non-profit called The Bridge, a mental health and housing solution organization. Mrs. Chehade also said the show exceeded her expectations.

“The costumes were incredible, the talent was amazing—the musicians, the opera singer, the soprano was incredible… It was really, really wonderful,” Mrs. Chehade said.

She also found the show educational. “I was just blown away. I loved the fact that we learned so much about the Chinese culture,” she said.

One of Shen Yun’s aims is to revive traditional Chinese culture through the mediums of music and dance. According to the company’s website, traditional Chinese culture that spans 5,000 years of the land’s history, generated a “profound system of values.”

People believed in respecting the divine, a balance between man and nature, as well as the principles of benevolence, wisdom, justice, and propriety.

Mrs. Chehade couldn’t help but see the link between the show’s inner meaning and her own culture.

“It’s interesting, I sat next to a gentleman who is from India, and he gave me a little bit of insight into the concept of compassion, connection, and looking at a bigger picture of things,” she said.

Mr. Chehade, a cardiologist, said his wife expressed his sentiments entirely.

“I am learning a lot, and it was just beautiful,” Mr. Chehade said.

Reporting by Ivan Pentchoukov, Frank Liang, and Kristina Skorbach

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

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.