CHICAGO—Michelle Owens and Don Dixon were intrigued by the uniqueness of Shen Yun Performing Arts. They saw the opening night performance on April 2 at the Civic Opera House.

Shen Yun, based in New York, aims to restore 5,000 years of semi-divine culture to the world and this year is touring to over 20 countries and over 100 cities.

“We are really enjoying the music,” said Ms. Owen, a vice president at Fidelity National Title Insurance Company. Mr. Dixon, who is a database administrator at TTX Company, agreed.

“A Western philharmonic orchestra plays the foundation, while traditional Chinese instruments lead the melodies. The sound produced is uniquely pleasing to the ear,” according to Shen Yun’s website

They also expressed their admiration for the colors of the costumes and style of the dance.

At the heart of Shen Yun is classical Chinese dance, one of the most expressive and challenging dance systems in the world.

Ms. Owen said the performance left her feeling uplifted, and Mr. Dixon explained that each particular dance left a different feeling with the audience.

“Each one tells a different story,” Ms. Owen elaborated. “There is a story about the boy who fights a dragon; there is a story about the Steadfast Lotus, with the woman who is being persecuted for meditating. Each one has its own message,” she said.

The last dance she mentioned depicts a current situation in China today in which people of faith are repressed.

Before returning to their seats for the second half of the performance, both also said that this performance was deepening their understanding of Chinese culture.

Reporting by Teresa You and Sharon Kilarski

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