“It was so beautiful, I got so many goosebumps,” she said. “I almost cried once—it was very moving.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun’s mission is to revive China’s ancient culture. It presents stories from different dynasties and tales of virtue and morals through classical Chinese dance and music.

Some of the dances depict the modern-day persecution of the qigong practice of Falun Dafa, which is a spiritual belief based on the universal values of truth, compassion, and tolerance.

Shen Yun’s mission of reviving China’s traditional culture is very important, she said.

“I don’t think [Chinese traditional culture] is something that should be lost … I feel [Shen Yun] should be able to do what they’re doing without fear of persecution. I think it’s important for them and their culture, and I’m really glad that we get to experience it with them,” she said.

“It was very interactive. [The characters] were jumping into the screen … it was seamless,” Rios said.

“It’s just an amazing experience and everyone should experience it at least once. I waited for years to come see the show and I finally got to go. I’m so excited,” she said.

“I think people leave something like [Shen Yun] feeling uplifted and hopeful,” she said.