“I was clapping when nobody else was clapping. Because I know how hard it is. And how limber you have to be,” said Ms. Cox, who used to be a professional dancer. “Five stars all the way.”

“I was impressed. I saw no mistakes,” said Mr. Cox.

“The music was fabulous. I played percussion myself for 55 years, so I listened to the percussion and paid quite close attention,” said Mr. Cox. “But they’re fabulous. Everything’s perfect. The conductor was fabulous. The orchestra was superb.”

Shen Yun is committed to showcasing China’s 5,000 years of culture; a China before communism.

He added that he noticed the performance imparted the lesson of being “kind to one another and carry[ing] on traditions.”

“I think growing up in America, we tend to take our freedoms for granted, and we don’t fully understand when people are persecuted for what they believe,” said Julie Fewell, a compliance auditor.

“And it kind of helps bring it home a little bit more to what’s really going on, as opposed to what you just read in a newspaper article,” she added.

“It’s a shame that modern China has gone the direction that it has and [it] is losing its heritage,” said Bob Fewell, who works in the oil and gas industry.

Shen Yun puts on an all-new production each year. That includes new costumes worn by the artists on stage. The costumes are inspired by the attire worn in each of China’s dynasties as well as the different ethnic minorities.

“I like the costumes. They tell part of the story. The way they use the sleeves to illustrate movement with the water and the snow and stuff is really interesting. It’s very effective,” said Ms. Fewell.