WASHINGTON—For a military general, witnessing artists confront a totalitarian regime armed with a million-strong army—not through force, but through beauty, art, faith, and tradition, restoring what decades of propaganda have eroded in the human heart—is deeply moving.
On the afternoon of Jan. 17, Charles Flynn, a retired U.S. Army four-star general, attended the eighth performance by Shen Yun World Company at the Trump Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C.
Gen. Flynn previously served as commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific and was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia for his contributions to U.S.–Australia military relations.
“The colors, the stories, and the quality of the dance and music were all just beautiful,” Gen. Flynn said after seeing Shen Yun for the first time.
The stories presented on stage left a particularly strong impression on him. He singled out the final three pieces, which he felt conveyed themes of redemption, sacrifice, and respect for others.
Gen. Flynn was also captivated by the dancers’ precise synchronization and by the graceful women’s dance featuring flowing water sleeves.
A defining element of classical Chinese dance, water sleeves are long, flowing silk extensions attached to the cuffs of dancers’ costumes, enhancing expressiveness and adding visual elegance to each gesture.
“I was fascinated by the water sleeve dance,” he said. “It adds a sense of flow. It goes so well with the dance.”
Gen. Flynn praised Shen Yun’s mission to revive China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture and pass those values on to future generations.
“Like in every country, maintaining culture and traditions is really important,” he said. “Through the music and the dancers, being able to retain that culture and showcase it elsewhere may inspire younger people to take up this kind of dance and carry that message forward. That’s a positive thing.”
While many people today associate China primarily with communism, Gen. Flynn noted that Shen Yun reveals what has been lost. He observed that some stories portray the suppression of individual rights and the absence of a spirit of helping others in today’s China. “Each story has elements of forgiveness and spirituality,” he said.
The performance also depicted the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China—realities the Chinese Communist Party seeks to conceal and that many Americans remain unaware of.
Gen. Flynn believes conveying this message through art is highly effective. “I think it’s incredibly important,” he said. “Not many people realize this is going on, or if they do know, they’re not acknowledging it.”
He emphasized that such issues receive far too little attention. “We don’t see enough of this in the media or through the arts,” Gen. Flynn said. “Not enough information is being communicated outside of China about what is happening there. I would say it’s abhorrent behavior.”
He further stressed the need for continued and broader communication of the truth.
“We have to keep at it,” he said. “We have to keep telling stories and showcasing cultural events like this. And maybe there are ways—through other social media platforms—to reach a wider audience, because I don’t think most people understand the story.”
Gen. Flynn also underscored the importance of cultural expression itself.
“Any culture that finds ways to showcase its traditions and impart its values—through dance, music, and stories—is important,” he said.
As Shen Yun marks its 20th anniversary, Gen. Flynn expressed admiration for the artists’ perseverance and sense of purpose.
“It’s a beautiful show,” he said warmly. “The performers are amazing—the dance, the music. And their ability to communicate the challenges of retaining and maintaining cultural history is really important.”
Reporting by Frank Liang and Olivia Li.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
