ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Company director Lara James experienced Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time at the California Center for the Arts on Feb 12. Though Ms. James had no idea what to expect as she stepped into the theater, as soon as the curtain went up, she knew she was in for a treat.

“It was absolutely amazing—the colors, the dance, learning about the culture, it was truly tremendous!” Ms. James exclaimed. “A lot of effort and talent went into it—youth and energy.”

“The pieces that addressed [values] such as the willingness to sacrifice oneself for belief and for love [were] really moving,” Ms. James said.

She thought it was a wonderful thing that Shen Yun demonstrates for the world a China before communism.

“I love that. It was joyous. There’s a tremendous amount of culture and history that was built into [Shen Yun] and that made me more curious to learn about China.”

Ms. James was not at all surprised that Shen Yun is banned by the Chinese Communist Party from performing in China.

“The curtain goes down, and you don’t know what’s coming next, then it comes up and it’s something new—it’s exciting. You see something new every time the curtain comes up,” Dr. Westerhout said.

For Mrs. Westerhout, there was an extra surprise.

“I’ve got hearing loss. So, the communication of the show—being able to visually understand what’s going on [through] the dancers was amazing,” she said.

“I love it, I love it! It’s very uplifting and very educational. I was looking forward to seeing it and it’s definitely gone above my expectations,” she said.

“[Shen Yun] is definitely making a big impact. I think it’s great. Hopefully, this will open people’s eyes and spread the word.”