MELBOURNE, Australia—Opening night for Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company at Melbourne’s State Theatre, Arts Centre, was augmented by enthusiastic audience response, with much applause on the evening of Thursday, March 27.

Diana Percy, business owner, was there to experience the wonder of Shen Yun’s first performance.

“Very spectacular! Amazing discipline, technique and practice. It was formidable,” she said, speaking of the dancers’ performance.

Ms. Percy was truly enchanted by the backdrop, which she says is “so amazing”.

“It was very special and beautifully done, and realistic at times. It was very cleverly done. Fabulous!”

According to the Shen Yun website, the “state-of-the-art” graphics technology used by Shen Yun’s digital-backdrop team “creates vividly animated settings, extending the stage and transporting the audience to a world where heaven and earth are one.”

One piece which stood out to Ms. Percy was Ne Zha Churns the Sea, a dance depicting the tale of Ne Zha, a mythical demi-god who battled the evil red Dragon King, according to Chinese mythology.

The digital backdrop depicting the rising water of the ocean and the dramatic flying battle between Ne Zha and the Dragon King was “fantastic”, says Ms. Percy, adding that she “loved” it.

Ms. Percy says it is sad that the people in China are “not free to express a lot about the Chinese culture at the moment.”

“That came home to me very powerfully. That’s a message I’m taking away,” she said, adding that this message had a big impact on her.

She also felt Shen Yun left her with a message of hope. “That’s very special, because without [hope], the human heart is nothing.”

Reporting by Ruby Zhang and Leigh Smith

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006