TORONTO—Bob Crippen likes Shen Yun Performing Arts so much that he’s already bought tickets to next year’s show.

The part-time professor at York University has seen the Shen Yun performance twice. He’s also seen the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra twice.

“I thoroughly enjoy it,” he said after seeing Shen Yun at Toronto’s Sony Centre on April 22.

“I mean, the dance is beautiful. The costuming is equally beautiful, very intriguing. The backdrop, sort of blending the old with the new, I think is quite interesting. Makes for a very pleasant evening.”

Shen Yun tours internationally each season, bringing China’s traditional 5,000-year-old culture and the values inherent in it to audiences through live orchestral music and classical Chinese dance.

The New York-based company just began its annual tour of Eastern Canada.

“It’s very enlightening. It’s relaxing, very enjoyable,” said Mr. Crippen, a former schoolteacher.

The mission of Shen Yun is to bring about a renaissance of China’s ancient culture through the performing arts. The group uses classical Chinese dance to tell stories from classic literature and ancient myths that embody traditional values like loyalty, compassion, and respect for the divine.

“I think it has a very spiritual side with the dance and the intricacy, the coordination between all the dancers onstage. I think it’s a very different type of performance in comparison to many other shows.”

Mr. Crippen said he “very much” enjoys the spiritual aspect of Shen Yun. “And my wife’s an Anglican priest so I think that is meaningful to her also.”

Reporting by Dongyu Teng and Joan Delaney

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.