MONTREAL, Canada—Michel Nadeau didn’t know what to expect when he saw the colourful ads for Shen Yun Performing Arts, but he knew he had to get tickets and find out. 

What he discovered, as he took in the performance at Place des Arts on Jan.6, was a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese civilization that took his breath away. 

“It’s astonishing—very colourful, very lively, very creative,” he said. 

Mr. Nadeau is the executive director of the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGPPO), which works to improve corporate governance practices in the private and public sectors.

He was thrilled to experience Shen Yun, a world-renowned classical Chinese dance and music company, and said it was a very unique production.

“It’s an art form that one doesn’t see much in Canada,” he said.

A particularly unique component of the performance is the interaction between Shen Yun dancers and the digitally animated backdrops. 

In the story-based dances that weave tales from China’s 5,000-year divinely-inspired culture, performers appear to leap in and out of the vivid backdrops, a difficult feat that requires split-second timing. 

“The magic between the dance and the images on screen is very well done,” said Mr. Nadeau.

He also appreciated the diversity of stories presented in Shen Yun. He particularly liked the “Mongolian Chopsticks” dance, which features the spirited energy and lightening-fast dance steps of the Mongolian people. 

“Alternating between fast, furious footwork and long, extended arm movements, Mongolian dance is a vivid testament to free-spirited vitality and boundless, expansive expression,” describes the Shen Yun program book. 

Mr. Nadeau was also moved by a dance entitled “The Steadfast Lotus,” which portrays a family torn apart by persecution under the Chinese communist regime—a reality of countless Chinese people today. 

Mr. Nadeau was very pleased he decided to attend Shen Yun and said it was well worth the money. 

“It’s very interesting,” he said.

Reporting by Mathieu Côté-Desjardins and Justina Wheale 

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun’s World Company will perform in Montreal until Jan. 9 before going on to Hamilton. 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.