Washingtonians Celebrate Shen Yun at Festival Time in DC

As the audience left the theater, murmurs of “beautiful,” “stunning,” and “breathtaking” could be heard.

U.S. Ambassador to East Timor, Joseph Grover Rees, acknowledged Shen Yun and its presentation of traditional Chinese culture saying it was "a shame [Chinese culture had to be] preserved in exile." Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—It was festival time in D.C. when Shen Yun Performing Arts premiered its 2012 season at the Kennedy Center in Washington on a balmy night on March 21.

Fittingly, the annual Cherry Blossom Festival began the day before and Washingtonians came out in numbers in their finery, to celebrate and see Shen Yun, the New York-based classical Chinese dance and music company.

Cherry blossoms, the sign of spring’s arrival, are understood by many to symbolize rebirth, renewal and hope. For many people Shen Yun represents that too.