“Their beauty goes beyond their performance—there’s a passion,” he said, “I appreciate them for bringing that to my family in Huntsville.”

Mr. Kennedy, his two daughters Shea and Eva, and their friend attended a Shen Yun performance for the first time at the Von Braun Center Concert Hall on Jan. 24.

“It’s an awesome performance, I think the artwork and beauty of how they bring the culture is just awe-inspiring,” said Mr. Kennedy.

Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company. Accompanied by a unique orchestra that blends traditional Chinese instruments into a classical Western orchestra, Shen Yun presents folk dances, solo performances, and story-based dance pieces that tell tales from ancient times to the modern day.

Mr. Kennedy enjoyed how Shen Yun brought spirituality into the show and said that the two cultures and their respective spiritual beliefs, “aren’t that far apart.”

“I think it’s good for them to come to see the different culture [and] to see that we’re not that different,” he said.

What inspired Mr. Kennedy the most about Shen Yun was “the passion that they share for their art.”

“I appreciate the passion for what they do,” he said, “I watch their faces—that’s why I like to sit up close—you can just see it in their eyes … it’s more than just a performance, it’s an art.”

Frank Pugh, engineering manager, also attended Shen Yun Performing Arts, with his wife Kathleen Pugh, aviation charter broker, at the Von Braun Center Concert Hall on Jan. 24.

“I am astonished by the amount of strength and discipline it takes to do what they’re doing,” said Mr. Pugh, “it’s fabulous … it’s amazing!”

“I perceive a pride of the people, and a stoicism to make it through to retain their culture in the situation that they are in,” he added.

“Every culture has their own birth story, their own religious history, and there’s a lot of commonality [in values] … There’s something that transcends all people.”

“It wasn’t a show, it was an expression,” said Mr. Pugh, “you can see that, it seems to come out of the dancers … it’s something deep down.”

“I think what they are doing is part of who they are … and to be that dedicated, it has to be from inside … it’s not something that you do as a profession, it’s who you are, it’s just amazing!”

“I am very proud of what they are doing,” he said, “they did a fabulous job, and their dedication really showed.”