If you want to achieve greatness, there's always certain sacrifices they have to make.

At a time when the performing arts seem to be on the decline, one company is experiencing a meteoric rise.

If you imagine the canvas came to life,

if you could hear the music, if you could see the colors come to life.

In less than two decades, Shen Yun has grown from one to eight equally large companies

touring the world simultaneously, each with its own orchestra.

There's the mental aspect and also the physical aspect.

You have to train every part of your body to jump, flip, dance.

They now travel to over 200 cities a year and perform in front of over 1 million audience members.

I want my audience to walk out of the auditorium feeling better than when they walked in.

So how has Shen Yun achieved the success?

What is the secret to its approach?

In this special episode of American thought leaders,

we get an exclusive inside look

at the world's Premier Classical Chinese Dance Company.

All the materialistic things people try to pursue,

it's not going to last forever.

What last forever are the things you have inside?

They're driving a restoration of authentic Chinese culture,

if they are banned in China.

It's something that the C. C.D has to try to destroy.

So what is motivating the artists behind this global phenomenon.

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