PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The beauty of 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture was nothing short of moving for Les Papp, a computer consultant and actor who has been in films like “Tower Heist” and “Locked In.”

“I thought it was portrayed very, very well, very touching,” said Mr. Papp, who saw the performance with his wife at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Feb. 6.

He described the vastness of what he saw in during the two-hour period. There was classical Chinese dance along with ethnic and folk dances showing a selection of the 50-plus minority groups across China. The dances told stories and gave glimpses into the different time periods and geographic regions of China.

The presentation of China’s 5,000 years of civilization was a revival of the traditional Chinese culture that had been nearly destroyed under communist rule.

“It was interesting showing the different eras though China, from the ancient to the current, and the battles it’s facing due to the communist [regime],” he said.

Mr. Papp said he saw “the aspect of people still trying to strive to hold on to their cultural heritage, even in spite of the persecution.” That aspect spoke to him personally, “so it’s nice seeing that portrayed.”

Especially since the entire performance was one of beauty. It was beautiful in the portrayal, costumes, and arrangements in dance and in music.

For example, he said, the one dance right after intermission was “spectacularly done,” and the theme of water portrayed was visually just like water. “I thought it was very, very beautiful.”

Reporting by Sophia Zheng 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.