He brought with him a certificate of recognition to welcome and honor the artists for their efforts.

“I loved the show; it was beautiful. It’s wonderful to have this great culture in Costa Mesa because we’re the city of the arts,” Mr. Stephens exclaimed.

“I liked how colorful [the performance] was. The dancing was beautiful and the multimedia—how they bring live action [together] with the animation—it was really quite something.”

Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by New York-based artists dreaming of reviving and sharing with the world China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture. Its eight equally-sized companies are slated to visit over 200 cities this year.

“The Monkey King fighting the devil—boy, that was really fun. That’s the one where you saw most of the animation and the live-action work together,” he said.

Following the communist takeover of China in 1949, Chinese traditional culture was systematically eradicated by the ruling regime. According to the company’s website, Shen Yun returns each year with a brand-new set of programs that showcases the beauty of “China before communism.”

“There was divinity on that stage for sure,” he said.

“Unfortunately, this show [can’t perform in China.] I think it’s terrible. Everybody should be able to see this beautiful artwork and dancing. It’s a shame that people in [China] can’t see it.”

“I wish they could see it and see what kind of impact it has on the community. Costa Mesa is very multicultural. I was sitting there and thinking of all the different cultures that we have in this city. We’ve got a real melting pot here,” Mr. Stephens reflected.

“Having this performance come here is really special, and it’s really on brand with our multicultural city. I would say thank you [to the performers] for bringing your art to Costa Mesa. I admire you. I could never do what you can do, and it’s a real gift that you’ve given to our community.”