FORT SMITH, Ark.—Retired Master Chief of Navy and public speaker Francis McGee attended Shen Yun Performing Arts for the second time on March 19, at the Fort Smith Convention Center. The show was just as good as he remembered it to be.

“We love to see it. It’s wonderful to experience the culture, the different dance styles, the pageantry. It’s really spectacular,” he expressed at the end of the evening.

“Ancient Chinese culture is very interesting. Here in the United States, we don’t have culture. So, it’s very interesting to see.”

Mr. McGee enjoyed this spiritual element of performance and thought it was “interesting to compare how different religions are similar—how they all follow the same [values] in some ways.”

Reflecting on the company’s story-based dance that raises awareness about the Chinese Communist Party’s brutal persecution of Falun Dafa—a peaceful meditation practice whose followers adhere to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance— Mr. McGee said, “It’s very valuable for people to see.”

“It’s just one of those things that most people in this country aren’t aware of,” he added.

He believes people should uphold the moral values presented by Shen Yun in the performance, stating, “It’s very important,” especially in today’s chaotic world where “we’ve lost our way.”

Unlike the modern, military-influenced styles often seen in China today, Shen Yun preserves and performs this tradition in its most authentic form, as it was originally passed down through generations.

Mr. McGee will take home with him, the beauty of traditional Chinese culture, the pageantry, and the deep emotions from the evening.

Shen Yun reminds you to “think about where you are in life and what you’re doing, and think about some of the things that people [in China] have to deal with,” Mr. McGee expressed.

The show was “educational, spectacular, and beautiful.”