"I really enjoy the costumes and the overall history," Ms. Reed said.
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception in 2006, Shen Yun’s mission has been to revive traditional Chinese culture and show audiences the beauty of “China before communism.”
"I love the costumes, I love the dances," Mr. Rudnick said before complimenting Shen Yun's animated patented backdrop. "The way [they] were able to integrate the animation, the screen with the real actors, with the real dancers. That was pretty nice to see."Mr. Rudnick said that seeing Shen Yun's performance was "money well spent," while Ms. Reed said that she "would tell the neighbors [that] if you haven't seen it ... you're missing out."
Also among the matinee performance audience was Brent Cottrell, an analytical chemist, who saw the performance for the first time with his wife.
"We loved it," Mr. Cottrell said. "It's nice to dive into the cultural aspects and just the dance ... all the costumes have been wonderfully arranged, and the stories are very interesting."
"[They] blend seamlessly. Very well done," he said.
Shen Yun's program includes story-based dances, some of which depict the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of followers of faith. Although Mr. Cottrell was not previously aware of the persecution, seeing the steadfastness of those being persecuted being depicted on stage was "moving ... [and] very touching" to him.
Shen Yun also depicts the spiritual elements of traditional Chinese culture, and Mr. Cottrell felt that "they're getting the message across in a very inspirational way."
