PORTLAND, Ore.—Daniel Griego, a behavioral sciences teacher, was in attendance for Shen Yun Performing Arts at Portland’s Keller Auditorium on Jan. 17.

“It’s beautiful,” he said during the intermission.

Shen Yun seeks to revive 5,000 years of divinely imparted Chinese culture, a culture nearly ruined at the hands of the communist regime over the past 60 years. Mr. Griego felt that Shen Yun’s portrayal of the vanishing traditional ideals in modern day China was most poignant.

“You know, regarding the repression that they are under now, they seem to be using a very passive form of informing the rest of the world what they think about it,” he said.

Mr. Griego felt that the kind of determination required by Shen Yun’s performers was quite impressive. He added that he was also touched by Shen Yun “speaking from their heart” about the extreme repression by the communist regime.

“And they’re going to stay steadfast through there and hang on to their culture,” he said.

“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 through 5,000 years of Chinese culture,” reads Shen Yun’s website. “Its stunning beauty and tremendous energy leave audiences uplifted and inspired.”

Mr. Griego was touched by the unique energy coursing through Shen Yun. “I believe it’s full of variants,” he said. “A lot of varying degrees of colors, of dance moves.”

At the heart of a Shen Yun performance is classical Chinese dance, one of the most rigorous and expressive art forms in the world.

As for the performance overall, Mr. Griego would only describe it as “flawlessly performed, but complicated.”

“And the stories they are telling seem timeless to me,” he added.

Reporting by Lauren DePhillps and Michael Fitzgerald.

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.