(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company delighted the audience at the San Diego Civic Theatre on Saturday night, December 26. Amongst the appreciative audience were Cheryl Cox, mayor of Chula Vista, the second-largest city in San Diego County, and her husband Greg, a member of the San Diego board of supervisors.

"I liked the show, from the dancing to the costumes to the music to the singing to being able to bring a little bit of China to San Diego County," exclaimed Mrs. Cox. "It was so enjoyable!"

Cheryl Cox, Mayor of Chula Vista, and her husband Greg, a member of the San Diego Board of Supervisors

She thought it was very important that traditional Chinese culture has been brought to San Diego County. She spoke of the need "to draw other countries to us and [to draw] us to other countries."

"We are people first, and I think that sharing one another's background and heritage is terribly important, and it was a truly, truly wonderful evening."

Her husband was also enthusiastic about the performance: "I loved the show--extremely great choreography!"

He said that several aspects of the show would stay with him. "The backdrop was just fantastic! The choreography and the dancers were just superb. It is just unbelievable what they are doing up there--the coordination, the difficulty that they are going through.

"I think, also, as Cheryl pointed out, it's a lesson in history--very, very helpful to see some of the things that have happened in the past in China. I just thought that the whole experience was a tremendous opportunity."

"It was interesting to see 5,000 years of dance and the history of China. How it all comes together is a very moving experience."

Mr. Cox added that he liked the spiritual parts of the performances very much. "We got a book here that we want to read when we get home to learn a little bit more. There are a few gaps that we have."

Both were adamant that Shen Yun Performing Arts should return to San Diego. Mayor Cox said, "I'm just very glad that we were here this evening and hope that when the show comes back, we'll have a chance to see it again. And we will tell our friends what a wonderful evening it was."

"I think it was extremely well done," her husband said. "It's something we look forward to coming to again.

"We hope Shen Yun Performing Arts comes back to San Diego on many, many more occasions in the future. The San Diego region is a very diverse region. We have a very strong Pacific Islander community, and I know there are a lot of people not only in that community but in the San Diego region that would certainly benefit and would love to see this performance."

History Teacher Impressed by Shen Yun's Preservation of Classical Chinese Culture

Mr. Dumas, a history teacher, and his wife, who danced when she was younger, both thoroughly enjoyed seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts. Mr. Dumas had surprised his wife by buying tickets to the show as a Christmas present.

Mr. and Mrs. Dumas

Mrs. Dumas said that the costumes were beautiful and was impressed by the dance In a Miao Village. The Miao are one of China's oldest ethnic groups.

Mr. Dumas, who describes himself as naturally curious about culture, said he enjoyed the dance Flowing Silk. "It had the coordination with sleeves and the costumes flowing through the air. It was very precise."

But on a deeper level, Mr. Dumas said, "What I learned a lot was about the concerted effort to try to hold on to culture and values through this show. I don't think there is another culture around that can boast such a long history and have it still survive today and presented in shows like this."

Mr. Dumas said he liked the message in the dance Astounding Conviction. In this dance, a lone man in Tiananmen Square holds up a banner that says, "Falun Dafa is Good" thus affirming his belief. "I like that message ... about no matter what forces are against you, by staying true to your own beliefs and own values, you can not only survive but persevere. You saw the character in that particular part of the show overcome his enemies, though he did not view them as enemies. They viewed him as an enemy.

"I teach U.S. history, but I try to teach universal humanity and doing what is best."

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27040/ and http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27040/