SYDNEY, Australia -- "It's so calming and beautiful, and you're captivated by it," Kristian Pritchett, managing director of the construction equipment company SpanSet, said about his immersive experience with Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Mr. Pritchett attended Shen Yun with his family for the first time at Sydney's Capitol Theatre on March 7.

"We're very excited to be here," he said.

"[This is the] first time I've seen Chinese dancing. It's really incredible.

"The colour, the lighting, the dancing, the performance, and the interaction with the screen behind [are] breathtaking."

At the same time, the director said Shen Yun had a "huge positive influence," causing the audience to be immersed in its performance.

"It's like you're part of the act," he said.

"I must admit I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm just looking at the glory of the colour, [and] the ability of the dancers.

"You're caught in the moment."

Mr. Pritchett noted that it was not easy for a performance to capture the audience's attention nowadays.

"In this day and age, we're always thinking about something else," he said.

"But when you're watching a show like this, you are just focused on the show."

The director also praised the spiritual aspect of Shen Yun and the connection between the Creator and mankind, as depicted by the world-class performance.

"We all have a Creator, and I do like the connection of what they're doing here on the stage between the Creator and humankind," he said.

This contrasts with modern-day China, where traditional values have been replaced with atheism under the Chinese Communist Party's rule.

Madeleine Bridgett, a human rights barrister, was impressed by the diversity of dance styles performed by Shen Yun dancers.

"The show is absolutely fantastic. It takes you on a journey of the history of dance in China," she said.

"I really loved the contrast between the Southwest dance, the Northern dance, [and] the Tibetan dance.

"You can see the different styles of dance and the different storytelling."

Apart from classical Chinese dance, which originates from dances in ancient imperial palaces and folk traditions, Shen Yun also features the dance styles of many ethnic groups in China, including Mongolian, Tibetan, Manchu, Yi, and Hmong.

Bridgett also stated that Shen Yun's mission to revive the Chinese culture was very important.

"Spirituality, religion, faith -- it's the core of who we are, so it's very important that people are able to go back to that and bring it back into the community," she said.