DALLAS—“I think the Chinese culture was beautifully portrayed I really do,” said Theo Buccoli, regional director for a school district, after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Jan. 4.

Mr. Buccoli is from South Africa, and was a school principal for 29 years before he took up the position of regional director for the South African Independent School Association.

“It was heavenly,” Mr. Buccoli said, marveling at the images of heaven he saw throughout the performance on the backdrops and costumes. “I think that there’s a spiritual feel to it. The whole show had a spiritual feel to it. And it’s really pleasing to the ear which is wonderful. And obviously the vision was spectacular.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun was established by artists from around the world in 2006 to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through the performing arts. The values of the divinely inspired culture are seen throughout the many art forms presented by Shen Yun, such as classical Chinese dance.

Mr. Buccoli said he had learned during Saturday evening that the traditional culture and values have been suppressed and once nearly destroyed under the current regime in China. He was appreciative of Shen Yun’s efforts to create art and spread culture.

“It was absolutely magnificent and obviously a tremendous amount of hard work was put into this. You can see it!” Mr. Buccoli said.

A great lover of ballet, Mr. Buccoli was surprised and pleased to learn about classical Chinese dance, which he had not seen before.

Classical Chinese dance is a vast and independent system of dance, having been passed down and refined through the dynasties. In addition to form and technique, classical Chinese dance emphasizes “bearing” or “inner spirit,” according to Shen Yun’s website, allowing the form to be vastly expressive.

“It was absolutely superb,” Mr. Buccoli said, glad that his evening was such a cultural experience.

Shen Yun Orchestra had been a wonderful surprise for Mr. Buccoli as well. The orchestra is unlike any other, blending traditional Chinese instruments into a full western symphony to create a truly unique sound.

“This has just been a cultural revelation for me to see,” Mr. Buccoli said.

Reporting by John Chang and Catherine Yang

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.