McALLEN, Texas—The McAllen Performing Arts Center teemed with excitement as Shen Yun Performing Arts took the stage on March 2. Mark and Leslie Ybarra were happy to experience China’s traditional culture at the matinee performance.

“I loved it, just the costumes, the traditions, the style. It’s amazing, it’s breathtaking. I love it,” Mrs. Ybarra, a special education teacher, said.

As professional educators, the Ybarras saw great educational value in Shen Yun’s presentation of “China before communism.”

“I always like to educate my students on different cultures from all over the world, and expose them to many different styles. And through dance, there’s so many different ways to express yourself. I really love that they’re able to keep their culture and express that through dance,” Mrs. Ybarra said.

“I find myself often looking at [the orchestra] just play and I’m just getting immersed by the music and the sound and the instrument. So it’s beautiful,” Mr. Ybarra, an educational consultant for a university, said.

“I really like the fact that they haven’t lost their identity, their culture,” Mr. Ybarra said. “Regardless of what they have gone through, the persecution and whatnot, they still have found a way to revive that and keep it alive.”

“Yes, I agree,” Mrs. Ybarra said. “I think it was just tragic that they’re not able to express their culture in their own country but it’s just beautiful to see that they’re spreading it over here, that they’re able to share that here in our country.”

“Keep doing what you’re doing,” Mr. Ybarra said. “This is shedding light on their culture to the rest of the world. It’s just a blessing to be able to see that with our own eyes and be able to see that they’re being able to express that through their dance.”

Mrs. Ybarra agreed. “Yes, just to continue to spread their culture and just to continue to open other people’s eyes to all the beauty that they have to offer through their dance,” she said.