“You see it in their passion, you see it on their ... faces as they’re trying to express the dances. It means [there is] something deeper than just an expression of entertainment. It’s much higher than entertainment.”

The company was formed in 2006 by a group of Chinese artists “to revive authentic Chinese culture.”

“It gives you a glimpse into culture that we just haven’t had exposure to before,” he said. “Without ... Shen Yun, I don’t know that people’s eyes would be open to some of the things that we’ve been experiencing tonight.”

“So very unique, very beautiful, very aesthetic,” he said.

He added that he enjoyed the expression of emotions through the dances.

“Just super impressed at the [artistic director’s] ability to depict those things so that anybody of any ethnicity or any nationality could understand,” he said.

Emily, a high school student who also dances, said she was “wowed” by the performance.

Dr. Jake Karels, a medical doctor, enjoyed seeing the variety of story-based dances in Shen Yun.

“I thought it was fantastic,” he said.

“I really like the combination of historical events with the different dances from different regions. That was really amazing,” she said. “And you can see how much work is put into this, wow. Above and beyond, truly.”

To Shen Yun artists, Dr. Dzama said, she'd like to say: “Thank you for dancing with your soul.”