MADISON, Wis.—“I love the costuming, the color, the fire and excitement of actors and dancers. It’s a rare thing,” said Majorie Erlandson. She and her husband, oil painter Carroll Erlandson, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at its first of two performances in Madison this year.

The couple saw the classical Chinese music and dance performance, on April 10, at the Overture Center for the Arts.

Shen Yun’s mission is to restore the traditions and values of China’s 5,000 year old divinely inspired civilization.

Mr. Erlandson enjoyed the color and animated motion of the digitally animated backdrops, which set the stage for the 20 short songs and dances presented.

“Very skillful dancers,” he said. He also said that the company got its point across in an understandable and entertaining way.

Mr. Erlandson, retired from business since the 1980s, paints realistic people and animals, some abstracts as well, with oil on canvas and wood panels.

Commenting on the culture, Mrs. Erlandson, a retired school teacher, noted that Chinese dance laid the foundation for a lot of dance today.

Mr. Erlandson said he knew very little about Chinese culture, except that it has definitely been interrupted by the communist” regime, and that he appreciated seeing the recovery of traditional dance.

Reporting by Stacey Tang and Sharon Kilarski

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.