“[Chinese culture] is something that none of us were familiar with,” Dr. Huxford said, “we just thought it would be good for us and the children to see it.”

“I’m very happy we came. It was very uplifting,” he said. “We all came here from different backgrounds with different beliefs but we will all leave here knowing that it’s important to love people and take care of people.”

In the decades since the communist regime seized power, Chinese culture was forced to the brink of extinction.

“It’s very important to remember our history so we can learn from the past and carry it forward with us in the future,” Mrs. Huxford reflected.

She, too, thought the performance was “encouraging and hopeful.”

“At a time when we’re isolating ourselves and separating ourselves, it’s important to remember [that] love is important to other human beings. It heals wounds and brings people together.”

Before the Chinese Communist Party’s spread of atheism, Chinese people were very spiritual and had a deep belief in the divine. For thousands of years, their values and day-to-day actions were governed by the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.

As she sat listening to the songs of Shen Yun’s vocalists, Mrs. Huxford was reminded that “there is something greater than ourselves.”

“There is an eternal divine being. One day he’s coming back and we want to be ready,” she said.

“Knowing that God is going to make everything right—that’s hopeful,” she said.