ATLANTA—A retired ballerina and ballet teacher felt inspired when she saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Jan. 15. Judith Clark smiled and said, “It was magnificent, it was so inspiring, and I was truly touched by the athleticism and the artistry. And the costuming was just exhilarating and the movements, the precision the music it was just, it lifted my spirits and it will be a memory that I will cherish deep in my heart because it was something so unique and I know the work that has gone into that, being a professional dancer myself.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is known as the world’s foremost classical Chinese dance and music company with a mission to revive China’s millennia of culture and history.
“Its stunning beauty and tremendous energy leave audiences uplifted and inspired,” the Shen Yun website states.

Ms Clark said she had seen the finest dance companies, and Shen Yun was perfect, “to the top degree, the nth degree.”

As a teacher and a dancer, she said she knew how much discipline and effort lay behind the beauty on stage. “Artistry to the top degree and athleticism ... the tumbling was magnificent, the extensions, the strength, but graceful, so graceful. The arm movement was just magnificent. And I really understand the training that went into the perfecting of that, it was a thrill to be part of that.”

Shen Yun sparked curiosity in Ms. Clark. She said she wanted to try dancing in a long skirt, as in classical Chinese dance. “The costuming was superb. I want to go home and buy a big full skirt and practice.”

She also planned to learn more about Chinese culture, because the performance was “beautiful, just beautiful, heartwarming really. I want to study more now and delve into some of the history, because it’s fascinating and I really enjoy the artistry, being an artist myself.”

Now that she has experienced Shen Yun, she plans to come back every year, she said.

“It was beautifully programmed, just the perfect balance. … It was just so perfectly done and I’m sorry that it’s finished. I’ll definitely look forward to seeing it next year.

Reporting by Frank Xie and Mary Silver