NEW YORK—Karen Topjian, an award-winning interior designer who loves music and art, said watching Shen Yun Performing Arts was an inspirational experience.

“The show was terrific, the dancers, the message, it was inspirational,” said Ms. Topjian after attending the performance at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater.

“The costumes were great. The dancing, the flexibility, the agility—it was lovely, it was perfect,” she said.

Shen Yun was established in New York in 2006 with the mission to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture.

“I thought it was very spiritual and I think it transcends where we come from. It’s that we’re all people of the earth and the heavens, that was the message to me,” said Ms. Topjian.

“The divine is always current, it makes us better for what we do, because we realize that we are part of the great universe. And when you’re part of the universe your actions bear responsibility,” she said.

Since its inception, Shen Yun has become a global phenomenon, performing in front of millions around the world. Each year the company performs in around 20 countries and 100 cities. However, the company has been unable to perform in China where the communist regime fears freedom of expression.

“It makes you think. Freedom was a very strong message here and the ability to express yourself through artistic means—that was great. I thank the company,” said Ms. Topjian.

“I think people must be free wherever they are and it’s a shame that people in China can’t see this,” she said.

Shen Yun performances feature classical Chinese dance pieces performed to music by a full orchestra, as well as solo vocal pieces.

Shen Yun’s singers use bel canto technique to sing Chinese text, an ability in which they are unparalleled.

“When the sopranos sang their songs it was so uplifting and spiritual, talking about the place in heaven and earth and bringing it all together, it was lovely,” said Ms. Topjian. “Their voices are beyond belief, they’re so perfect.”

Reporting by NTD Television and Jasper Fakkert

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.