TOULON, France—For the second year running, Shen Yun Performing Arts came to delight the capital of the Var region, presenting the very best in classical Chinese dance and music at Le Zénith.

On Wednesday April 2, Martin Fuchs flew in from Nice with his wife and a friend for this exceptional experience.

“It’s, without doubt, one of the most beautiful shows I’ve seen in my life,” said Mr. Fuchs, former deputy director of a consumer credit company that has developed consumer credit in some 20 countries around the world.

With “artists full of talent,” an “absolutely enchanting set,” “magnificent costumes,” and “radiant, resplendent colors,” Shen Yun is “really a very, very fine success,“ Mr. Fuchs said. ”Bravo, bravo, bravo!”

“The singer and the artists who play instruments... there too, it was splendor!” he said.

The former financial executive also appreciated “the choreography, the absolutely polished overall vision, the animated background and the latest technologies.”

Mr. Fuchs experienced a “very strong emotional dimension” thanks to the presentation of the scenes “in the form of short sketches,” he said.

“That’s another great idea, because it gives us an idea of Chinese history, customs and rites, as well as a look at the new China.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a mission to show audiences China before communism.

Surprised to discover with Shen Yun “the ancient history of China,” so different from that of “a few decades ago,” since the Chinese communist regime seized power, Mr. Fuchs was delighted to discover “a vast country, an ancient country, a great empire! And it’s this history that really deserves to be brought up to date. And it’s very well done! Really!”

“I’m very attached to history, and if we take the example of France at the moment, we’re having a hard time maintaining it. It’s this idea, this recognition, this respect for history and therefore the fact of seeing it in another civilization, well that gives us a great lesson I think. Let’s not lose sight of what we’ve loved, what we’ve experienced. Let’s preserve the best of what we’ve had.

“I had a great time and I'll be back,” Mr. Fuchs said.

For Éric Jalliffier-Verne, Shen Yun dancers “are both artists and athletes. I think there’s a happy blend of the two skills, and it’s very interesting, particularly in terms of movement. It’s not at all like Western dance; the way you walk is very different, and so are the postures.”

This former administrative director of the Ports Toulon Provence mixed syndicate also felt “a lot of emotion,” as he hadn’t expected “this kind of show, which is strongly rooted in Chinese traditions and civilization.”

His wife, Sylvie Jalliffier-Verne, believes she has discovered “another world” where “you can do beautiful things and tell fantastic stories that can convey a civilization. I was very impressed by the rhythm, the choreography, the ensemble, and the dancers, who are truly extraordinary.”

For this director of management control at the Toulon Provence Méditerranée metropolis, Shen Yun’s dancers “go beyond dancing”, because they “do something else,” with “a lot of work” too.

Mrs. Jalliffier-Verne felt “a lot of wonder” and “a lot of emotion in what this country, China, can experience, and to discover its history through dance, it’s magnificent!”

Shen Yun means “the beauty of divine dancing beings,” paying homage to a culture with a 5,000-year history inspired by the divine.

“I believe that the relationship with divinity is something fundamental ... perhaps for a society that is, for the most part, indifferent, even atheist. It can be very interesting to remind people of a few fundamentals,” Mr. Jalliffier-Verne said.

This connection to the divine is “the story of existence,” Mrs. Jalliffier-Verne said. “Where do we come from? Where are we going? What are we doing? All these connections are expressed with movements that are extraordinary.”

Spirituality is also reflected in Shen Yun’s scenes, embodied in traditional values such as loyalty, benevolence, and endurance.

For Mrs. Jalliffier-Verne, kindness “is deeply felt in the purity of the gestures that soothe, even in scenes of violence, so to speak. We feel that behind it, there is still a lot of kindness, passion too.”

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive China’s 5,000 years of rich traditional culture, which the Chinese communist regime attempted to eradicate upon coming to power in 1949.

This mission, for Mrs. Jalliffier-Verne, is “essential.”

“It’s essential because we need to know what happened in history and not dwell on the preconceived notions we have today. And to know that there’s a whole story behind it that has developed over time and which has obviously given rise to this beautiful show.”