NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The music brought part–time piano teacher Deborah Concannon to experience Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Providence Performing Arts Center, Feb. 23. She loved the music and found Shen Yun was so much more.

“I love the music, yes, very much,” she said at intermission. “It’s heartwarming, it’s very moving, it’s very spiritual.

The Shen Yun orchestra is unique because it blends the sounds of traditional Chinese instruments with those of a Western philharmonic orchestra. This is no easy feat since the music of East and West use different scale intervals.

Ms. Concannon said the orchestra has “a wonderful blend” that sounds “very balanced”.

She was also impressed with the hundreds of colorful handmade costumes that evoke different dynasties and eras of Chinese history. She liked the way they accentuated the movement of the dancers

“It keeps everyone’s attention, the colors and the movement,” she said. “All the silk materials always flowing.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded with “the aim of reviving traditional Chinese culture, the essence of which has been lost since the communists took control of China and its systematic campaigns like the Cultural revolution has uprooted traditional beliefs and destroyed ancient treasures—bringing traditional civilization to the brink of extinction,” according to its website.

Shen Yun performs classical Chinese dance, which has 5000 years of history and was passed down in China’s imperial courts where it soaked up the aesthetics and values of different dynasties.

Ms. Concannon said the dancers had a “lot of talent.”

The pieces portray legends of Chinese heroes, myths of Chinese deities, and focus on traditional values such as bravery, loyalty, filial piety, compassion, and veneration of the divine.

Ms. Concannon summed up the theme as, “Good conquers evil,” she said.

Reporting by NTD Television and June 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.