MISSISSAUGA, Canada—Throughout the ages, Chinese people have believed their culture to be a gift from heaven.

Spirituality and a deep veneration for the divine have permeated the civilization for 5,000 years, and many stories and legends tell of immortals walking the earth and interacting with humans.

In Shen Yun Performing Arts, these stories come to life through performances of classical Chinese dance and music that bring to light ancient values.

One such story is that of the Lady of the Moon, which tells of a mortal woman who ascends to the moon to become a deity–a gift from a Taoist to reward her good deed. However, before she and her husband can drink the elixir of immortality, an evil red dragon appears.

Lev Mishin, a teacher and musician, watched Shen Yun at Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre and was captivated by this performance.

“It’s romantic and it’s beautiful,” he said.

Mr. Mishin said the music accompanying the dance was wonderful, particularly the sounds of the two-stringed erhu.

“[It] just took me away to the moon,” he said.

Basia Baron, who attended the performance with him that night, said the music of the whole performance left her feeling content and relaxed.

“I feel happy,” Mr. Mishin said as well.

For Ms. Baron, an artist and dancer, watching the dancers was a treat.

“I liked that their movements are perfectly together, in sync, in unison, and very graceful,” she said.

Mr. Mishin also shared her appreciation.

“The dancers were beautiful. Just great. I loved [seeing] a kind of reserve which hides the power. [It] shows through though, and it’s beautiful,” he said.

Also in the audience on Tuesday night was Norman Wong, clothing adviser at Harry Rosen. Mr. Wong was particularly impressed by the costumes and the dancing.

According to the Shen Yun website, Shen Yun’s costumes are a result of extensive research and artistic inspiration.

“The designers stress harmonic balance and contrast. Their objective is an authentic presentation of the attire that comes from China’s divinely inspired traditional culture, and a consummate stage effect,” explains the website.

Mr. Wong, who was born in Canada, came to Shen Yun for an opportunity to learn more about his Chinese background and found it very educational. Next time, he said he will bring his children as well.

“I would say you must see it at least once. And once you see it once, you'll probably see it again. Because every year’s a different storyline,” he said.

Reporting by Dongyu Teng, Lisa Ou, and Madalina Hubert

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun’s International Company is currently touring Eastern Canada. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

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