ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—The world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company kicked off its first performance at Popejoy Hall, on the campus of the University of New Mexico, on March 26.

Among the audience members was Bruce Shortz, a distinguished artist with 45 years of experience in fine art photography. He is president of 10000 Cranes Studio, which specializes in fine art printing and graphic design services for artists.

“I’m enjoying the show very much,” said Mr. Shortz. “I’m appreciating this very much.”

Independent and nonprofit, New York-based Shen Yun was established in 2006 by artists from around the world with the mission of using the universal language of dance and music to revive China’s divinely inspired traditional Chinese culture, which had nearly been completely destroyed by the current regime in China over the last several decades.

“For 5,000 years divine culture flourished in the land of China. Humanity’s treasure was nearly lost, but through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is bringing back this glorious culture,” according to the Shen Yun website.

As an artist, Mr. Shortz appreciated the artistry of the performance, “In and of itself, I think it’s very beautiful, and very well done, and good art.”

While he enjoyed the state-of-the-art digital backdrops, Mr. Shortz was impressed by the classical Chinese dance, both by the choreography and costumes of the dancers. “The very precise choreography, the costumes are absolutely lovely, and colorful,” he said.

“Sophisticated dance techniques, an orchestra joining instruments from both the East and West, beautiful costumes, and a stunning back drop—this is Shen Yun at first glance. But digging deeper, one discovers a sea of traditional Chinese culture,” explains the website. “Mortals and divine beings merge on stage as one. Principles such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and divine retribution, all come to life, washing over the audience.”

“I appreciate the beauty and performance of it all,” said Mr. Shortz.

Reporting by Kerry Huang and Thanh Le

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