WASHINGTON, D.C.—United Airlines pilot Jamie Fontanella had never known about the Chinese belief in the heavenly creation of humankind before seeing Shen Yun. But there’s a hint of this belief—a belief in the divine nature of Chinese culture as well—in the very name of the company. “Shen Yun” means the beauty of divine beings dancing. That’s the glory of China’s long spiritual past that Shen Yun aims to capture onstage and bring to the world.
Mr. Fontanella saw New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts, the world’s top classical Chinese dance and music company, at the Kennedy Center on the evening of Jan. 28….