(Clearwisdom.net) "Joyful, boundless color and beauty," enthused Natalie Brown, dance teacher for both the Zenon and the Continental Dance Companies. "It made me want to know more about the culture." Ms. Brown and her friend, John Moore, a software engineer, had come to the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis to see the closing performance of the Chinese New Year Spectacular, on Wednesday.

John Moore shared, "I especially liked the sense of joy of the performers and the way they worked together and the way that they were in sync with each other and the movement was very fluid. I just enjoyed the sense of light. I've seen a decent amount of dance with Natalie and this was one of the most positive dance experiences that I've had!"

"This was delightful--I was, like, beaming the whole time!" Ms. Brown chimed in again. "I just want to watch something incredibly beautiful by talented people and that's why I enjoyed it. It wasn't simple by any means, it wasn't simple at all."

"We know about the political persecution of the Falun Gong in China," said Mr. Moore. "Yes," agreed Ms. Brown, "I was deeply moved by the family piece--about the family--people being taken away from their families." The performance, "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution," portrays the tragic reality that Falun Gong practitioners face in China today, of persecution for their spiritual beliefs.

Natalie said, "I think that this story is important, and I'm glad we can see it and we can learn about it."

"The Cultural Revolution stamped it [the culture] all out," Mr. Moore continued. "I hope that maybe in the future this show can be performed in China."

"Grace and beauty--we need more of this in the world. The show is very hopeful. I would definitely come back to see it and I hope it comes back."

The audience members at Minneapolis' Northrop Auditorium agreed -- they gave the New Year Spectacular an enthusiastic standing ovation!