NORFOLK, Va.—Debbie Greig, a nursing teacher, and Emily Greig, a student nurse, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Chrysler Hall on Jan. 13.

“It was beautiful,” said Mrs. Greig. “We loved the artistry and the athleticism, just the amazing physicality of everything. The beauty of it was wonderful, but also the culture.”

“I lived in Korea for a few years, and I never got to China, but I love the representation of true China,” said Mrs. Greig. “Not communism, but what China was for so long and still is. That’s what I loved about it.”

“It was just extremely beautiful just to see China’s version and just to know the history of a whole bunch of the techniques that we learned and to realize that they came from this,” she said. “It was so beautiful just seeing how the dancers expressed from their hearts. They did it so flawlessly, and you could see the passion in the way they expressed it.”

“It’s very rare to come across such talent to be able to truly express authentically what you’re expressing in your music and your dancing. All of it, it’s just so authentic. It’s beautiful.”

“It was extremely inspiring just to see how they presented their faith, and they presented it with such passion and without cowardice,” said Ms. Greig. “They were not ashamed to express what they believed, and it was extremely inspiring. ... Especially in a society where people don’t believe in the Lord and don’t believe in God; it was incredible just seeing how they were so unafraid to express that they believe in God in a society where God is shunned and disowned—I was inspired personally.”

“I would say it was the most truthful performance you could come across,” she said. “The most authentic expression of belief and of artistry that you could ever see.”