DALLAS—John Henry, owner of an oil and gas exploration company, had been struck by how beautifully Shen Yun Performing Arts was able to explain to him the history of Chinese culture through music and dance at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Jan. 4.

“It was fabulous,” Mr. Henry said. 

Mr. Henry said he had not been aware of many things he saw in New York-based Shen Yun and was impressed with how much light the performance shed not just on ancient China, but China today.

Shen Yun revives 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, the core of which are principles that had come through for Mr. Henry in the stories and songs sung by the solo bel canto vocalists.

“I was amazed ... with the similarities of the beliefs that we have, our belief systems in a God and a creator, and that type of thing,” Mr. Henry said. “Good versus evil, and so again that was very impactful, that’s the part that I got out of the most.”

However, under the current communist regime in China, the traditional culture and art Shen Yun brings forth are suppressed and were once almost lost. Mr. Henry said he had not realized the extent to which the regime had damaged the culture, and was glad Shen Yun was bringing it to the world.

“They were great,” Mr. Henry said, adding he'd like to tell the performers what an outstanding job they did.

Another highlight in Mr. Henry’s evening was Shen Yun Orchestra, which successfully blends East and West like no other symphony has done. Traditional Chinese instruments are mixed into a full western symphony and create a completely new sound—one Mr. Henry said he would be coming back to Shen Yun for.

“The music part was absolutely fantastic,” Mr. Henry said.

Reporting by John Chang and Catherine Yang

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.