Bruce and Malana Paige were among the theatergoers at Blaisdell Concert Hall on the first day of Shen Yun’s performances in the city on May 4. They were captivated by both the dance and music presented by the company.

“The dancers are so entertaining, all the color, everything is beautiful. It’s wonderful,” Bruce, an attorney, said. “And the orchestra is so good. You don’t even know that they’re there. They’re amazing.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the premier classical Chinese dance company, whose guiding mission is to revive authentic Chinese culture through the arts. Every year, it tours the world with a brand-new program, incorporating dance vignettes, vocal soloists, and dance-based storytelling.

Malana, a project administrator, used to be a professional dancer, and so appreciated the skill of the dancers on stage.

“They’re amazing, they’re all excellent. They’re flawless,” she said.

“I love dance, I love [the] culture of dance, and just the gracefulness of the ladies and [their] preciseness.”

 Shen Yun’s dancers are experts in classical Chinese dance, as well as various folk and ethnic dance styles. Classical Chinese dance is an ancient art form, developed over thousands of years, which includes a complete system of movements and expressions. Along with mastering difficult physical components, dancers are also expected to hone their inner bearing, called yun. Yun requires the dancer to convey the inner world through their external expressions.

Bruce perceived the symbolic quality of the dance, which he said represented the beauty and grace inherent in the culture.

He also enjoyed the interplay between the dancers on stage with the 3-D animated backdrop, which enhanced the storytelling.

“That was so incredible, the way that you mix the actual physical state of the dance with the technology,” Bruce said.

The attorney commended the company’s efforts to preserve China’s ancient culture.

“It’s nice to see the culture preserved, and the spiritual side,” he said. “It’s nice to see it’s still young people doing it and promoting it and continue it on. It’s just like the Hawaiian dance. Nice to see the culture keep thriving and, hopefully, the language, the dance all move forward. And stay in the younger generation.”

He himself felt privileged to be able to a participant in this exchange.

“It’s so beautiful to be able to see other cultures, and their dance and their traditions,” he said.

Bruce added that the performance had something for everyone. “No matter what age you are, you can come here and really enjoy it.”

He encapsulated his experience as: “Amazing, spectacular, colorful, and memorable.