Shen Yun Performing Arts wrapped up its performances in Dijon, France, on Feb. 11. Audience members were amazed by the skill of the dancers, and the creativity of the patented digital backdrop.

“Artistically speaking, there’s a lot of coordination, a lot of synchronization in the movements. It’s very enjoyable, very pleasant to watch,” said Philippe Gueucier, a retired general secretary. “I think it’s mainly the discovery of a different culture and having a moment of pause and tranquility, returning a little bit to oneself.”

“It was magnificent. The costumes were really sublime. The music was perfect,” said Jean Smektala, a musician. “I’m amazed by the costumes, the technical aspects, with the [digital backdrop]. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it. This is the first time I’ve seen dancers disappear into the scenery. It’s truly exceptional.”

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive China’s 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture before communism through classical Chinese dance and music.

“It’s fantastic, really interesting, very fresh, and it’s lovely to see Chinese culture. It’s a wonderful moment of relaxation,” said Gaël Caron, a philatelic expert. “The story, the beauty of the dancers, the beauty of the dances, all the harmony that you really feel in the show.”

Raoul Baudou, a retired Chinese medical doctor, said, “We discovered Chinese traditions that we didn’t know about. Even Mongolian traditions, we don’t know about all that. And there, it made us dive into all of that. It made us discover something that is magnificent.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun has been touring the world since 2006. Each performance also presents themes of spirituality and morality on stage, which resonated deeply with many of the theatergoers.

“It shows how important it is to turn to God and that we also have a soul,” said Caron. “I really recommend that [people] come and see the show for themselves to experience this kindness, this source of joy that shines through the performance.”

Baudou said, “When you see this, you think to yourself, if everyone watched shows like this instead of watching wars, the world would be a much better place, there’s no problem with that, and I hope that’s what will happen in the future, because we’re fed up with wars, but with shows like this, we'll definitely be back next year, because it looks like there will be something new.”

Shen Yun will be performing in Nantes, France, from Feb. 17 to Feb. 26.

NTD News, Dijon, France

NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, covering audience reactions since 2006.