“They’re all in unity but they also need to have their spirituality and their individualism—to rise up and be their true selves—to really honor tradition, honor their heart, and express everything with truth, love, and light.”

Though it was his wife’s idea to attend the show, by the end of the evening, insurance consultant Jay Almeida thought Shen Yun was well worth the trip.

“The dancing was fantastic. It was just very creative and very expansive,” he said. “I loved the live orchestra as well! I wasn’t expecting that, it was a good touch.”

Speaking of the company’s mission to revive traditional culture, Mr. Almeida said this was very important for the new generations because they need to understand where they came from and how everything in life is tied together.

“History often repeats itself so you got to understand where it all began to go forward,” he said.

Referring to the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Shen Yun artists, Mrs. Almeida expressed that this is “a complicated subject.”

“The suppression of thought—this idea is quite emotional and just really upsetting and sad,” she said.

“I think people need to get back to knowing their culture. One-sided [thinking] suppresses any kind of creativity, art, music, and free thinking. [The government] needs to evolve.”

For Mr. Almeida, if he had the chance to speak with Shen Yun performers, he would tell them to “just keep going.”

“It’s a very hard profession but [those who] have the passion will always excel. So, keep that in [your] heart and in [your] mind, and move forward. Express it to the world, that’s the beauty of it.”