CLAREMONT, Calif.—“It was beautiful. It was just lovely. I was getting teary eyed, because I wanted to be up there dancing,” said retired Broadway actress and singer Sally Christianssen. She had been moved by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Bridges Auditorium on April 10. For her, it was a performance of hope and inspiration.

Established in New York in 2006, Shen Yun Performing Arts aims to revive the 5,000 years civilization through dance and music. The culture is said to be divinely inspired, and Ms. Christianssen felt that. She found the spirituality of the culture particularly inspiring.

She said, “I realized that there is a very special message.”

“I believe that there is a lot of hope, especially in the last program. Throughout the whole performance, they were building up to that. Also through the lyrics, the poetry, I felt there was a real sense of change that would be coming soon.”

Ms. Christianssen said she was also moved by a classical Chinese dance story called “Steadfast Heart,” which depicts how an elderly couple’s belief in Falun Dafa gave them the courage and strength to withstand the brutal persecution.

Falun Dafa is a spiritual discipline with ancient Chinese roots. Its teachings and values have reconnected the Chinese people with their roots. However, the practice is being persecuted in China today.

Ms. Christianssen continued, “I know the persecution is going on over there. It’s so unfortunate that Shen Yun can’t perform in China. But I’m glad they can do it here. They are incredibly talented group of people.”

“I would recommend this to anyone. It’s the beauty that will get you in the eyes. It’s the message that will strike your heart. And there is the sense of hope. You have to come see this.”

Reporting by Marie-Paul Baxiu and Sophia Fang

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.

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.