(Clearwisdom.net) World-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts has continued to impress Washington DC audiences during its August shows at the Kennedy Center Opera House. Shen Yun's performance of classical Chinese dance, music, and song was a wonderful surprise for Ms. Dawn Johnson, a former jazz singer and insurance sales representative. "It was above and beyond what I expected. I was very pleasantly surprised! I really, really enjoyed it."

Reflecting on the vocal performances, Ms. Johnson said excitedly, "Beautiful, beautiful! The woman, the soprano, I mean her voice was just mesmerizing and you could tell that the feeling that she gave when she sang, you really felt the words that were coming out of her voice, I mean she really believed what she was singing. Which again, it brought tears to your eyes. I'll try to remember the song. It was all linked to the fact that there is a limited amount of time, that we can believe the truth and learn the truth and then the truth will set us free."

"The singers, I loved them all, but honestly the tenor singer [Hong Min] just blew me away. He pierced my whole body and sent chills down my spine, so it was really mesmerizing and it was just amazing, a beautiful, beautiful sound!

"Yes, resounding sound. Isn't that what his name means in English? Resounding sound, it was perfect. It really embodies, I think, who he is and the fact that he was probably always meant and born to be a vocalist. Beautiful!"

Ms. Johnson said the lyrics of the songs and what she understood during the performances resonated deeply with her. "In fact it really hit home with me and what I personally believe in. It really was educational. I didn't know that much about Chinese culture and tradition or the beliefs of those who believe in Dafa."

Ms. Johnson greatly appreciated the musical performances. About the erhu, she said, "It really moved me, you know, I really enjoyed it a lot and there is a lot of, again, [elements] between the Western and the Chinese music. But those instruments that were brought in melted with the Western culture, it really added another element to it. And it really made it unique and very special. The instruments were fantastic. In fact, I had to keep reminding myself that it was live!"

Because of her own musical background, for her the music was a large part of the show. "Oh a huge part, a huge part, because I think it goes hand in hand with the message that you are trying to impart to the audience, I think it added again another element to the dancing, it brought everything home and I think that the music again moved you, it wasn't just the dancing. The two together really made it more special.

"The overall show, I thought it was fantastic! Thank you very much."

Profoundly Touched by Shen Yun

Mark Harris, an assistant in a major government administration, and Emy Harris, who works in software sales, were also in the audience for Sunday's performance at the Kennedy Center. Immediately after the show, Ms. Harris enthused, "I very much enjoyed it, the art form. This is our first time, and I thought it was very unique. They are very talented. I also enjoyed the beautiful costumes, the colors, and the artistic way they use the fans and the sleeves. That was amazing to watch!"

Mark Harris shared that the performance, 'Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution' profoundly touched him. "The one about Falun Dafa, the one where the father is taken away and killed by the government officials. Actually, it brought a tear to my eye, I found myself really saddened and touched by it, you know, the plight of the people in China."

"They came in and took him away from his wife and his child. And to me that was very sad, that someone can't express their opinions and not get punished. But when he went up to the heavens - that to me represented hope."

Ms. Harris agreed, "Yes, definitely. I guess we are lucky to be here in this country where we have the freedom to believe what we want to believe and practice what we want to practice. I guess the morals of the story, the different stories in the show, is to do good. There is hope in the end. After this life, there's something better coming."

Ms. Harris felt that watching the show favorably changed her opinion of Chinese people. "I didn't know there was such a commonality in the belief in heaven. And that's something that I didn't expect."

Mark Harris added, "To me, it seemed like many of us believe in one entity. There is one all-being - - powerful god that we believe in, and we have hope that one day we'd be up there in heaven with him.

In parting, Emy Harris shared that they would definitely come back to see Shen Yun when it returns to DC. "We're looking forward to it!"