Theatergoers in California took their families to experience Shen Yun Performing Arts as a Christmas gift on Christmas Eve.

The classical Chinese dance company is also celebrating its 20th anniversary tour, and the first U.S. performance this season was at the Center for Performing Arts in San Jose, California.

“One of the most beautiful things I’ve seen,” said Jennifer Mullins, an executive vice president in the insurance field.

Sonia Maiello, a top-producing realtor in Silicon Valley, said Shen Yun exceeded her expectations.

“I absolutely loved it,” she said, who saw the performance with her mother right before Christmas. “It’s a wonderful time of year to experience it.”

Mike Wilson, a church minister in Santa Clara, commended the dancers’ athleticism. “They’re flying through the air. It’s amazing. Very acrobatic and very entertaining to watch,” he said.

“Fantastic. Excellent,” said Doug Maughan, an educator at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I didn’t expect to be so emotionally and spiritually moved by it,” Mr. Maughan said.

Shen Yun currently has eight different companies and was founded in New York. Its mission is to revive genuine traditional culture through art and music.

Ms. Maiello said she became teary-eyed during the performance.

“It was just so touching. Just the storylines. It’s really, really nice,” she said.

Ms. Mullins described the experience as beautiful and said, “A lot of it just touched me personally.”

“It’s a life-changing experience,” Mr. Maughan said. “I absolutely feel honored to be here and have the privilege of seeing people demonstrating their culture with dance, a lot of stamina, and the hard work from these dancers and the musicians.”

Mr. Wilson said, “Doing it through the medium of dance and the performances, I think, is a way to reach people that otherwise probably would never be reached.”

The San Jose audience members also saw 5,000 years of China’s divinely inspired culture on stage.

“Very motivational. Very positive. Very uplifting. Very happy. I’m very happy right now,” Ms. Maiello said.

“If you are trying to get back in touch with your Creator, whatever, whoever that might be, this is a great way to do it,” Ms. Mullins said. “To reflect and realize that we all have a Creator, and someday we will be back with that Creator,” she added.

Mr. Wilson believes that the traditional Chinese culture represented in the performance should be preserved.

“I’m glad that Shen Yun exists and they’re conveying that message,” he said.

NTD News, San Jose, California.

NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts and has covered audience reactions since 2006.