However, in Philadelphia theatergoers like Brian Elliott, a teacher, and Beth Elliott, a chemical engineer, have found that being out among people couldn’t feel more natural.

“It’s great to kind of do something normal again, coming to show. This was canceled last year because of the pandemic and now it feels awesome to be in a theater full of people, it feels normal,” said Mr. Elliott.

“I had a similar thought right before it started—I haven’t been to an event like this in such a long time, it just felt like when would we ever be comfortable to be out in a space with so many people? Now I feel fine with it and it’s just it’s wonderful to share the experience with so many others,” Ms. Elliott added.

“Well, it’s a special occasion for us. I really like the history, I’ve read a lot about ancient China, so I wanted to see a dance interpretation. I’m interested in history [and] that’s what I teach, so I thought this would be a really amazing thing to see and so far it’s met my expectations,” Mr. Elliott said.

“It really tells the story of ancient China before the communist takeover, a history that you can’t see anymore in China. It’s original Chinese history, it’s amazing,” Mr. Elliott said.

“China was a beautiful place, had a beautiful culture before the communist takeover and it deserves to return,” he added.

When audiences see how Shen Yun resonates with them, they express their wish to share the beauty with those around them.

“I would tell anybody who enjoys dance to come out. It’s very artistic, it’s powerful, it’s beautiful. So yes, I would definitely recommend,” Mr. Elliott said.