“I really love what we’re seeing. I didn’t realize when we got the tickets, the underlying nature of the show. It’s divine inspiration and a focus on traditional values—that’s something that I’ve been really pleasantly surprised by,” he said.

Reflecting on Shen Yun’s mission to bring back traditional values and raise awareness for the ongoing human rights violations in present-day China, Mr. Bibeau said he “very much liked the idea of being able to demonstrate how tyranny can affect us, impact our lives and take our love from us, our passion for life.”

“That was powerful.”

“I think the story that most profoundly impacted me is the [dance] that took place in modern times. We see the brother and sister growing up, and we see the loss of life of the sister—it’s just such a tragedy,” Mr. Bibeau added.

“The idea that these kinds of things are occurring worldwide is a good thing for our younger generations to be aware of so they understand how to combat it and never let it happen again.”Mr. Bibeau, who fought and was injured in Iraq, understands firsthand “the struggle for the defense of liberty.”

Also enjoying the show was Francis Phillips, a civil engineering designer. He thought the show was “very colorful and very entertaining.”

“So, it’s quite interesting to see how different parts of the world view certain aspects regarding religion, government, and lifestyle.”

Through Shen Yun, Mr. Phillip saw “a civilization and a people that have pride in their culture.”