“It was beautiful! We loved the history it provided, the colors, the dance—all of it. Everything about the culture was wonderful,” said. Mrs. Hayes. “We loved it. It was hard to pick a favorite!”

“[Chinese] culture isn’t something we know much about. We didn’t realize how deep and beautiful it is. The color, the dancing, the art, and the expression—it’s just so revealing,” Mr. Hayes said.

“They also talked about the Divine. That’s what they were trying to tell us. It was really an emotional evening.”

However, after the Chinese Communist Party’s takeover and its spread of atheism, this culture was systematically destroyed. Even today, countless of Chinese people are subject to imprisonment and persecution for their beliefs.

“We were already aware of [the persecution.] It’s not publicized, people don’t know about it enough. It’s horrible that it’s going on and to such great degrees,” she expressed.

“I think people don’t realize how evil communism is. It has killed more people over the centuries than any other group. I don’t think [Americans] realize what’s happening in China because they’re so involved monetarily.”

“We were just talking about it coming down the stairs—the world is so full of evil right now and [Shen Yun] is a part of the resistance against that evil. It is a beautiful way to keep people in touch with the [divine] aspect of the world,” he said.

“We have to continue to support these kinds of messages and these kinds of productions. We stay brave and courageous because of things like this.”