GOLD COAST, Australia—Dr. Judith Davis, retired CEO for several not-for-profit organisations, was “quite overwhelmed” by Shen Yun when she saw the performance at the Arts Theatre, at The Arts Centre Gold Coast on April 27.

She said Shen Yun was “moving, dynamic, gorgeous, humorous.” She spoke of the “stunning choreography, lovely costumes that are so beautiful, and a very lovely sense of humor, which I think makes it very enchanting.”

According to its website, Shen Yun’s mission is to revitalise traditional Chinese culture.

Dr. Davies was impressed with the large number of Chinese Australians who seemed totally enthralled with the performance: “It’s bringing some of their old culture back to them, which is very beautiful.

“All of it is beautiful, and the thing that is very impressive is the joy and the passion and the energy that comes with the dancing in a way that is very refreshing and beautiful,” Dr. Davis said.

Dr. Davis thought everyone could learn so much about China from seeing Shen Yun: “In our country, we have no idea of the kind of suppression that Chinese people have been under, and I think it’s a cause of great reflection for people who come to see [the performance]: Wow, how have you survived that, and how has all of that beautiful culture been lost?”

For thousands of years, China was known as the Divine Land. But under 60 years of communist rule, authentic Chinese culture, including traditional arts, have been almost lost. That is why you cannot see a performance like Shen Yun in China today, the company’s website explains.

“We live in a democracy that we take very much for granted. We call it a lucky country, and it is,” Dr. Davis said. “The communist oppression of all of this [traditional Chinese culture], the fact that the oppression is still there, and people are still arrested for doing their meditation—we would find that quite horrific here.”

Dr. Davis was referring to a story depicted in a dance called The Steadfast Lotus, which depicts an all-too-common scene from modern-day China, where a mother is taken away by Communist Party police because she practices the peaceful cultivation way known as Falun Gong. According to the show’s program, “The daughter endures tribulations searching for her mother, until her steadfast faith gives her newfound hope.”

After seeing integral themes brought forward in such an artistic way, Dr. Davis wished the company the best. She said she would like to tell the performers: “Continue [to bring] ”your energy, your love of the culture, the incredible experience that is in your group, and the wonderful way you’ve got. … I think you’re just a wonderful group.”

Reporting by NTD Television and Emma-Kate Stampton

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.