“Tonight’s performance was lovely. It was so breathtakingly enchanting … Just the way the dancers moved, and the music choreographed at the same time. It made you want to hold your breath. It was very nice.”

“[When the curtain first went up, I felt] a sense of childhood wonderment. When you see a kid that’s about to open Christmas presents and they wake up Christmas morning and there’s the beautiful tree and presents and the colors, the lights, and you’re filled with this excitement. You don’t know what’s going to happen, because I’ve never seen it before. And the curtain lifted and I’m just ready for Christmas day.”

“[The dancing] was perfectly timed. And the lead dancer—she captivated me the whole way through. All of the tricks she did without skipping a beat. It was amazing.”

“I had actually listened to some of the [Shen Yun] music recordings and stuff beforehand—and whenever the dance, and the colors, and the silks, and the fabrics are all blended in with the music, it’s like watching an artist paint right in front of your eyes.”

“I learned a lot about modern day China and how repressed they are, and how there’s not a lot of freedom of religion or speech. And it’s sad, especially when they can’t express their own true culture, a culture that’s been so rich for a thousand years. One of the most ancient cultures and traditions that’s so beautiful, and they can’t express this? It’s heartbreaking.”

“I think that was the most inspiring part was the present of walking into the theatre and seeing all of the colors and the emotions streaked across the stage.”