“I really liked it! It was very different than anything I’ve ever seen before and I was surprised by the spiritual dimension,” Kowzan said. “You know, I practice spirituality in somewhat the same way, so I was really surprised … they’re talking about reincarnation—I had no idea that in China, there was a belief in reincarnation.”

“It was beautifully choreographed,” said Nuytten, a financial analyst. “Just an incredible skill that they demonstrated. It was a beautiful show.”

“That was amazing,” Kowzan said, adding that she felt a strong spiritual element to the music.

“It was like all the different emotions, but the good emotions—very uplifting. I had a reaction ... when [the musician] was playing, I kind of closed my eyes and I just felt like I was moving into the heavens,” she said.

Suzanne, who plays the piano and harp, said she had been waiting 5 years to see Shen Yun.

“Beautiful! The costumes are so beautiful, and the dance is so wonderful! I couldn’t wait to see it,” she said.

The orchestra was “fantastic. It’s gorgeous,” Suzanne added.

Shen Yun’s live orchestra harmonizes traditional Chinese instruments and classical Western instruments. The Western instruments serve as a foundation used to accentuate the essence of the Eastern instruments, such as the erhu, pipa, or gong.

Suzanne also enjoyed the virtuoso vocalists who were accompanied by piano.

“The piano is lovely, and the vocal is lovely,” she said.

“I like the whole idea of the Heaven and the Divine ... [The music is] very beautiful, and the dance is outstanding,” he said.