PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil—On the afternoon of May 9, lawyer Decio Pedro Giehl and his sister, Sandra Kuhn Giehl, attended the first performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts at Teatro FIERGS in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Deeply moved, Ms. Giehl said Shen Yun reflected many of the same values they believe in. “It’s always about working for the good and not letting evil take over,” the sister said.
Her brother spoke highly of Shen Yun’s artistry and production quality. “It was very different. I liked it a lot,” he said. “Technically, it was extremely well done—really very beautiful.”
He also complimented the performers. “The young men and the young ladies are very beautiful. The harmony was fantastic,” he said.
Ms. Giehl, who is also a lawyer, expressed her admiration for the artistry of classical Chinese dance. “I think this is truly an art. Your dance was an art. Very good—I loved it.”
“The lyrics carry profound meanings,” Mr. Giehl said. “They truly reflect what is happening today. If we cannot recover these things, everything will go downhill. It is fundamental for us to have a more peaceful life. A tree without roots cannot survive.”
Both siblings said they strongly identified with the traditional values presented in Shen Yun.
“We care deeply about tradition,” Mr. Giehl said. “Our culture is basically Christian. I identified with many things that are similar.”
Ms. Giehl specifically emphasized the role of family and moral principles.
“I think family values need to be upheld,” she said. “Even though this is a culture from the other side of the world, it still shares many of the same things we believe here.”
“The fight against communism is something that really catches my attention,” Ms. Giehl said. “We are living in a very similar situation here in this country. It scares me.”
Ms. Giehl added that she felt the performance conveyed a message of resistance to oppression and a call for freedom.
“From what I felt, your work is exactly against this Chinese dictatorship,” he said. “So it was really worthwhile. Through art, you can liberate people a little.”
He continued, “Both communism and the socialism we have here want to deconstruct what was built before.”
“Never give up,” he said. “Continue passing this art and these stories on to future generations.”
