“The truth evolves as life happens, and that’s proof of it—nothing can hold it back,” Mrs. Torres said, referring to the fact that Shen Yun exists and performs at all.

The New York-based company was established by artists who wanted to revive the divinely inspired Chinese culture and share it with the world. The culture has been oppressed and nearly destroyed in communist China, but that Shen Yun has been able to revive the culture and address this issue to audiences worldwide is a testament to its truth, Mrs. Torres said.

“No matter what, it always comes up,” she said of the truth. And she said she was thankful that Shen Yun had brought her a beautiful opportunity to witness one of the oldest cultures in the world.

For Ms. Torres, Shen Yun and its mission brought hope in several aspects.

Ms. Torres, relationship-manager for the United Way of Greater Rochester, has a passion for making her community a better place and changing lives through education. Ms. Torres fundraises for nonprofits and is a board member and coordinates many leadership programs in her community, like Circulo Latino. She is passionate about helping youth and inspiring through culture.

She was delighted to learn about this ancient culture through a performance with vivid colors and themes. The mother and daughter felt the themes were about life.

Ms. Torres pointed to the finale of the performance, a dance set in modern-day China. The story-based dances span China’s 5,000 years, and the ancient cultural belief in principles like truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance is seen throughout. It comes full circle in the finale, where the traditional Chinese culture and beliefs that were once suppressed come alive again in China, and a new era begins.

It brought Ms. Torres hope specifically because young people were represented, and it brought her hope in the opportunity that this culture can be passed on and shared with the youth.

Even if the young people today are in a different country or environment than where their roots originated, “it’s important that they know the path they are going to take for the future,” Ms. Torres said.

“It'll definitely shape how we live. Every action is very important, and every teaching they provided in the program is crucial to that hopeful future,” Ms. Torres said.

Reporting by Xinxin Teng and Catherine Yang

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.