EDMONTON, Canada—Business owner Shadren Carlson and Benny Chong, a corporate general manager, thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Shen Yun’s evening performance at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on April 12.

“I loved it. The tranquility—I was transfixed by it, hypnotized, mesmerized. I was floating on clouds. It was very, very pleasurable,” he exclaimed.

“It was almost like I went into a dream state. I was asleep but awake dreaming. The music was just—I don’t know how to describe it—it tickled my brain. I was extremely calm and relaxed. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

The erhu is a 4,000-year-old Chinese instrument that mimics the human voice. Though it only has two strings, it is capable of expressing a wide range of emotions, resonating with the profound depths of the human soul.

“They’re old enough to know better but still young enough to try to get away with it. That reminds me of the Monkey King.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. To satisfy popular demand, it has grown to include eight equally sized companies that perform yearly in packed venues around the world.

Mr. Chong said the best part of the evening for him was that he “really enjoyed the entire show.”

“Peace is a very generic word but when you’re busy in your daily life—family, work, life, and everything—it comes down to peace. It removes all that negativity and brings you to a point that you can actually be yourself—you don’t have to wear a façade every time.”

“In those peaceful moments for yourself, you know who you are deep down.”

For its 2024 touring season, Shen Yun will be performing in over 200 cities across five continents.

Met with wide acclaim since its establishment in 2006, the company can be expected to return each year with a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions.