Mitch Carter, a writer for the Michigan Opera Theatre, attended the company’s matinee performance with amateur musician, dancer, and student, Chloe Faccini,

“At the beginning, it’s like you are getting teary-eyed because everything you see is just so fantastic and amazing, and colorful and dream-like,” Faccini said.

According to Shen Yun’s website, “Entirely non-profit, and independent of the Chinese regime, Shen Yun enjoys the artistic freedom of New York, enabling it to now bring these ancient traditions to the stage.”

“Shen Yun cannot be seen in China today where traditional culture has been nearly lost. Yet Shen Yun—a non-profit organization—has become an international phenomenon, bringing the wonders of ancient Chinese culture to millions across the globe,” the company’s website states.

Faccini said, “It’s good to see just like freedom of expression, like free expression of their spiritual belief. It’s really emotional finding out that in other places like in China they don’t allow that be freely expressed so it’s really nice to be able to see everyone with the same mentality to be able to express it the way they want to.”

“I also like the unafraid expression of the masculine and the feminine and just the celebration of it, and even, I don’t want to say the exaggeration of it, but there is always the dichotomy—is always there and that’s beautiful,” Carter added.

Faccini felt Shen Yun made a lasting impression.

“It’s inspiring now that I’m leaving here and it’s going to be in my mind and I’m going to think about it,” she said.

“They did a great job, I think if they keep making it more widespread and enlightening more people, there is a better chance it will be, it’ll come back and will be revived,” she added.

“We’ll be back and you don’t want it to end,” Faccini said.