WASHINGTON—Charles Brannan, a retired banker from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Barbara Riddle, an advertising and marketing account executive, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center Opera House Jan. 22.

Mr. Brannan and Ms. Riddle both related to Shen Yun’s spiritual themes, which are drawn from China’s 5,000 years of culture, which emphasizes respect for the divine.

According to Shen Yun’s website, “Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey ... ”

Ms. Riddle said that the performance “brought to its audience something beautiful, which is the principles compassion, peace, and honesty.”

The traditional values, like good-versus-evil, are present in the stories told through Shen Yun’s mini-dramas as well.

“In this show you see much about Chinese culture. But, unfortunately, today’s China, which is ruled by the communist party, has abolished such principles,” said Mr. Brannan.

“And that is why this show tonight is bringing these principles to the forefront,” said Ms. Riddle.

The Shen Yun website tells its readers that Shen Yun was established to bring back the divinely inspired Chinese culture, which was almost lost after more than 60 years of communist rule in China.

“I think it is important to keep the culture alive, and I think this sharing is very important,” said Mr. Brannan.

Ms. Riddle said that for spirituality to come back through Shen Yun performances “is a good thing.” “I think it is wonderful.”

Reporting by Sherry Dong and Heide B. Malhotra

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.

The 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.