NEW YORK—Lydia Miller, a retired dancer, enthused over Shen Yun Performing Arts after experiencing the performance Jan. 11.

“I thought it was amazing,“ she said. ”I was very impressed by the synchronicity of the movement. Very difficult to do. I dance and I know how hard that is.”

Classical Chinese dance—alongside ethnic and folk dance—are the basis of every Shen Yun performance.

Classical Chinese dance has a history of thousands of years, and is considered one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world, according to Shen Yun’s website. It has three main parts—bearing, or “a particular inner spirit;” form, or the techniques and methods expressed externally, including movements and postures; and technical skill, or highly difficult techniques such as jumping and leaping.

Ms. Miller said that the way some of the dancers drummed and danced at the same time was amazing, as well as the way the dancers gave expression to their faces while dancing.

“They’re extremely good dancers,” she emphasized. “Extremely good.”

The dancers are accompanied by state-of-the-art digital backdrops, handmade costumes, and an orchestra that melds classical Western instruments with ancient Chinese instruments.

Ms. Miller found the music unique.

“The music was classical but it wasn’t, and it was very modern, but it wasn’t,” she said. “And then you heard the old music come in, the feeling of that old time, which was very, very cool.”

Reporting by NTD Television and Zachary Stieber

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.