DALLAS -- On Jan. 25, a Dallas-based surgeon and a local business owner both separately made the same plan: to attend Music Hall at Fair Park and witness on stage what had been advertised on countless billboards for months -- "China before communism."
They arrived in the evening, sat separately, and brought dates. Both men, Dr. James Lee Pace and Paul Castillo, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based dance company that aims to revive the divinely inspired culture that was once nearly lost under the Chinese communist regime.
They both noticed that the show did not shy away from current issues China faces, even serious persecutions today. Both told The Epoch Times during the intermission how they appreciated the performance's unabashed spiritual side.
Shen Yun has "given me a lot of joy," said Mr. Pace, an orthopedic surgeon at Andrews Institute. "It was very entertaining to watch. It gives me hope that maybe they can reinvigorate Chinese culture as well."
He spoke glowingly of Shen Yun's tenors, who touched on the decimation of spirituality under China's communist government.
"Some of the lyrics are, I'm paraphrasing, don't be fooled by the atheism and the evolution, stick to tradition," Mr. Pace said. "Given what's happened in China, that's a perfect message."
And Mr. Pace displayed support for the people in China who are persecuted, who are also highlighted in some of the dance segments.
"There's a whole lot of Chinese culture that is being suppressed by an authoritarian regime that needs to be liberated," he said. "Shen Yun is advertised as 'China before communism.' So, I was curious if there was going to be any commentary about that. So I thought it was very cool."
Also during intermission, Mr. Castillo spoke to The Epoch Times, saying, "I like the spirit of the show. It's beautiful, and it just transcends what you expect it to be. It's just very, very spiritual."
The vividness of the colors, the artistry of the dancers, and the movement across the stage also made an impression, he added.
Mr. Castillo, who owns a marketing firm that handles sporting events, also didn't fail to notice the segments on current issues plaguing China today.
"It's a good surprise," he said. "It's a way to introduce people to that without being too forceful because news these days is just in your face, too forceful. [Shen Yun] is a very calm way of expressing that and making people more aware."