BERKELEY, Calif.— For a scientist like Timothy Butterfield, he couldn’t help but notice some of the finer details in Shen Yun Performing Arts. Shen Yun showcases a wide 5,000 years of Chinese civilization on stage and it was the stories of present-day China that really struck a chord with him. The scenes depicting the harsh treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China left a deep impression on Mr. Butterfield. “I don’t know much about Falun Gong I just know that they are incredibly persecuted in China,” he said. He found that although the persecution was depicted briefly, it was a valuable scene. “Hopefully for a lot of people it brought attention to the persecution that the practitioners are experiencing [in] China today, and for the last 23 years,” he said. Mr. Butterfield found himself mesmerized by the choreography of the dances as well. “The choreography is incredible. The thing that …