THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.—Actress Jamie Uthoff was amazed by Shen Yun Performing Arts’ beautiful storytelling after attending the company’s matinee on April 3, at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center.

“I thought it was amazing. It’s amazing how so many beautiful stories were told through dance,” she exclaimed.

“Everyone was so flexible. [Makes me] want to go to the gym and work out. It was beautiful storytelling, the music was amazing, and the dancers—it was funny at times and very sad at other times. [There was] a lot of history.”

Ms. Uthoff added that Shen Yun is “a very important show” because “it’s important to learn more about China, to learn more about how things are being run [in present-day China,] and how we need the freedom of speech.”

“It’s a very ancient culture that we need to hold on to, and we need to continue to learn about it and cherish all the good and beautiful things about it.”

“It was beautiful, the power of the divine. Also, just the rhythm of [the dance]—how the body tells beautiful stories and how the divine source goes through all of us. I thought it was a very beautiful thing.”

Accompanying her for the evening was Joe Uthoff, who works in aerospace.

He, too, experienced the show for the first time.

“The show is wonderful. It’s just amazing to see the dancers and their movements. The music was amazing as well,” he expressed.

“Shen Yun had some sort of divine inspiration or divine essence. You could feel there’s just a power behind it like it was telling more than just these stories about a dirty restaurant or other things—It’s more of a big, universal picture about good versus evil and the Creator. It was just a wonderful, wonderful experience.”