“Beautiful and meaningful,” said Ms. Lopker of the performance. “It certainly revived my spirit ... I hope it revives the human spirit. We need that so much in our current world.”

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has been the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company since its inception in 2006. Its performers come from all around the world, united in their mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and the beauty and goodness of China before communism. Shen Yun currently has eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously, delighting audiences in over 200 cities across more than 20 countries and spanning five continents.

“The skill is more than I’ve ever seen, even [in] ballet,” said Ms. Lopker.

“Especially after the pandemic, but even before the pandemic, the world seemed to become more violent,” said Ms. Lopker.

“The very last piece was so uplifting. The very last dance, which [showed] compassion and forbearance ... I always believe in doing everything possible to not allow evil to win in the world. And I’m a very spiritual person. So, what I felt was a validation of my beliefs that I pray for regularly. You know that our world behaves with kindness, compassion, forbearance.”