HOUSTON—Fred Welling, a Houstonian of 88 years, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time with his son Shawn Welling and Michelle Simmons at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston, Jan. 1.

“It’s kind of ethereal,” Mr. Welling said with wonder.

Mr. Welling, CEO of the investment firm Star Stream Capital, is a well accomplished land developer in Texas. In addition to his real estate business, he opened an insurance company and founded Houston National Bank, which he later sold to Sterling Bank.

Mr. Welling said that watching the performance left him feeling proud and happy. He was excited to see the New York-based Shen Yun revive the genuine, traditional Chinese culture, which is said to be inspired by the heavens.

“[It’s] a good feeling, a positive feeling,” Mr. Welling said.

Being a positive person himself, Mr. Welling was glad to see the performance exuding positivity, and he saw a connection to his own philosophy.

“I build things and develop things and create things. My philosophy is: create a fusion with nature and man,” Mr. Welling said, adding that Shen Yun does it “in a beautiful way.”

Mr. Welling noted that he was glad to have attended with his son and Ms. Simmons to “just enjoy the beauty of the show.”

Ms. Simmons, a professional photographer, enjoyed the grace of the classical Chinese dance performed by Shen Yun.

“It’s very beautiful,” she said. She added that she was also impressed with the coordination of the dancers and choreography: “I enjoy it.”

Mr. Welling marveled at the dancers as well. “They kind of just glide over, like they’re floating,” he said. “Beautiful dance.”

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.