MANCHESTER, UK -- Shen Yun Performing Arts delighted the audience at the Palace Theatre on Jan. 18. Fran Sumpter, a doctor, said: "It's been really enjoyable -- amazing stories, great singing, and great music. Loved it."

"They were very different, with religious undertones to it, which I wasn't expecting. But very, very meaningful, she said."

"They were definitely radiating loads of energy through the performance. And I could see this in the style of dance and the energy they were giving off. They were really caring about what they were doing, and definitely giving off a sort of spiritual energy."

Ian Wilson, a business director, expressed his experience of Shen Yun's performance as "wonderful. It's been a beautiful experience."

Shen Yun is banned in China and suppresses many with spiritual beliefs. "But the persecution in some countries is far worse than in others," he said.