PORTLAND, Ore.—Jason Lobaugh and Melissa Lobaugh saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 19, 2026, at Keller Auditorium.

“Overall, the passion that the performers put into the event—that was just amazing to me. It’s not very often we get out to things like this, so it was pretty nice to see that,” said Mr. Lobaugh, a business owner.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“The athleticism and the costumes were amazing. My wife really enjoyed how the announcers gave the history. We really, really enjoyed it,” Mr. Lobaugh said.

“My business is I own a gym. So I would describe it as very athletic and the costumes were amazing. That’s what stuck out to me,” he said.

Chinese literature, along with Chinese history and legends, is a rich source of inspiration for Shen Yun.

Mr. Lobaugh shared that he enjoyed the dance depicting a portion of the classic novel, “Journey to the West.”

One dance story that left a deep impression told the true story of Falun Dafa practitioners following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Despite their goodness, they are being persecuted for their faith in present-day China.

“I don’t know that much about the history, but it certainly seems that I know a little bit about it and how they have been persecuted. And I think they are trying to fight for what they believe is right. I’m fully behind that,” Mr. Lobaugh said.

Ms. Lobaugh feels that Shen Yun’s program book is also a work of art. The two Masters of Ceremonies were also helpful to her in understanding more about the persecution.

She said she understood that, “when communism came into the country, this performance cannot even be allowed in China. And this performance has been happening for 20 years. It started in New York and yet the people that perform in it are Chinese people and they cannot bring that to their country. Very sad.”