HOUSTON—Mr. Howard Wilhite, an utilities executive, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts with his wife Dena Wilhite at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston, Dec. 28.

“It looked like they were floating across the stage,” said Mr. Wilhite of Shen Yun’s dancers.

New York-based Shen Yun performs traditional Chinese dance including classical Chinese dance and ethnic and folk dances from China’s many ethnic minority groups.

Mr. Wilhite, who works with Hays Utility South Corporation, is an active member of Houston’s utilities industry and a member of many water associations. Seeing Shen Yun for the first time, Mr. Wilhite said it was an educational experience.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the spiritual aspect of it and the truth in it,” Mrs. Wilhite said of the Chinese culture she saw.

Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired traditional Chinese culture, through the performing arts. What was once nearly lost now comes through in the costuming, digital backdrops, and music.

Mrs. Wilhite called the costuming beautiful and marveled over the long sleeves the female dancers often wore. “I really like the movement,” Mrs. Whilhite added.

The music, which is unique to Shen Yun, caught the couple’s attention as well.

“They are fantastic,” Mrs. Wilhite said of Shen Yun Orchestra. “It’s really beautiful music.”

Shen Yun’s Orchestra combines East and West with traditional Chinese instruments blended into a full western symphony. Shen Yun’s solo vocalists do a similar thing, singing original Chinese compositions in the bel canto style.

“It’s beautiful,” Mrs. Wilhite said of the sopranos.

Reporting by Sarah Guo and Catherine Yang

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.