SAN DIEGO, Calif.— After wanting to see the Shen Yun Performing Arts for years, lawyer Andre Verdun, brought his family to the San Diego Civic Center for Shen Yun’s first performance of the season in the Californian city. It was also his mother-in-law’s—Martina Charolet’s—first time seeing a live performance. “My family’s been wanting to come for years,” Verdun said. Verdun and his family were struck by the beauty of New York-based Shen Yun. “It was a lot of really beautiful dance routines. And it was nice to be able to watch the performances and to learn about how Chinese dancing has influenced other dances in gymnastics and culture. It was really interesting,” Verdun said. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture and civilization through dance and music. Audience members often leave the performance knowing more about China before communism. “It takes you through a different timeline, [learn …