NEW YORK—With an entirely new program every year, Shen Yun Performing Arts is attracting more and more return audience members. 

Retired medical technician Christopher Flanagan watched Shen Yun for the third time at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on Sunday, Jan. 12.

“This particular show was fantastic, especially with the digital presentations, as well as the dance. The music was just fabulous,” he said. 

The digital backdrop Mr. Flanagan mentioned extends the stage and brings the scenes from China’s 5,000-year-old culture and the heavens to life.

The New York-based company presents stories from China’s history and legends as well as heavenly scenes, since the country’s culture is held to be divinely inspired. Each year’s performance has a wealth of material to draw from. 

Shen Yun’s website explains: “Mortals and divine beings merge on stage as one. Principles such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and divine retribution, all come to life, washing over the audience. Originating from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, these ideals are the essence of traditional Chinese culture.”

Mr. Flanagan describes the message he understood from the performance: “Kindness, or the understanding of each other, the unity—it was very moving.”

Hannelore Voness watched Shen Yun for the second time. “It’s wonderful, I enjoyed it a great deal,” Ms. Voness said. She attended the performance with patent attorney Irv Feit, who experienced Shen Yun for the first time. 

“I was very, very impressed,” Mr. Feit said. “I was amazed that so many people could move in unison, like one organism.”

He was interested in the classical Chinese dance form. 

The Shen Yun website describes classical Chinese dance: “Soaking up profound wisdom from every era and dynasty, it has become a complete system of dance embodying traditional aesthetic principles with its unique dance movements, rhythms, and inner meaning.”

He added: “I thought it was remarkable, I loved it very much.”

Reporting by NTD Television and Tara MacIsaac

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.