HOUSTON— Retired investigator Vicky Southwick and her husband Mark, a computer engineer, heard many good things about Shen Yun Performing Arts over the years and finally made the decision to attend the company’s evening performance on Jan. 30 at the CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center.

Mrs. Southwick was deeply moved by the spiritual element of the performance.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “It was just so wonderful to see that there was still this feeling of divine—holding on to the divine thread through everything that they’ve been through, that was just an amazing show. Very spiritually uplifting to any faith. It was beautiful.”

The New York-based Shen was founded in 2006 by elite Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party.

For 5,000 years, China’s civilization flourished under the shared belief that the divine will bless those who uphold traditional moral values. Tragically, within just a few decades of the communist party’s violent takeover, these beliefs were almost completely erased and replaced with atheism.

The artists’ mission is to return to the world’s stage—the glory and beauty in the 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture of China before communism.

She also loved that the artists are depicting “what [China] used to be like before communism.” “You could feel the feelings and the people that were singing, you could feel what they believe in,” Mrs. Southwick added.

Mr. Southwick, too, was stunned by the beauty of the performance. “It was wonderful,” he said.

The couple was originally introduced to Shen Yun by a Chinese immigrant whose mother was persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party for her faith. They’re very happy they took the recommendation.

Shen Yun’s production features a series of short dances highlighting various regions of China, as well as solo musical pieces.

Mr. Southwick was especially moved by the story-based dances that recounted legends from ancient times to the present day.

“I enjoyed the stories, just these simple, almost like a little opera—these little stories. It was just all very entertaining.”

Mrs. Southwick couldn’t agree more. “The songs are so moving, especially to see the words,” she said. “Then the women that played the [two-stringed erhu]—that was amazing talent. The [singers] voices are so beautiful. It was just so touching.”

Shen Yun’s singers are trained in the classical Bel Canto—a style known for its ability to create tones of unparalleled beauty and purity. Through original compositions and lyrics, the artists invite the listener to explore the deeper meanings of life.

Mrs. Southwick said Shen Yun’s tickets are worth every penny.

“It was worth the money because you can see the production value—the fact that there’s a live orchestra,” she said.

“The costumes are amazing, the singing, the performers, and everything,” she added.