RALEIGH, N.C.—Shen Yun Performing Arts once more graced the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium to the delight of a New Year’s audience. Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, which went on to become a global phenomenon after its debut in 2006. Each year, the New York-based company puts on a brand new performance with fresh choreography and original music, performed by a live orchestra that blends Eastern and Western instruments. These combined with a patented digital backdrop and colorful costumes and props create exhilarating scenes onstage. A Birthday Present Dylan Santeramo, a research scientist in plant biology, was moved to tears. Wanting to come for many years, he said he finally got to attend the show as a birthday gift from his fiancée. Because of an interest in Chinese culture, Dylan said he was happy to see that so ancient a tradition has survived to the modern day. Dylan …