PORTLAND, Ore.—Although the season of giving has passed, Rosario Barbour still felt that Shen Yun Performing Arts has been giving its audience members a gift through its performance.

“This is a gift and to be able to be on the receiving end of that gift is very beautiful. So I would just like to say thank you because I can only imagine the hours of practice and work that goes into this. I know there’s so much that they pour into themselves to be able to do this,” said Mr. Barbour, a public servant.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“I appreciate the costumes, the dancing, the women. It’s just beautiful. It brings in humanity and a person-centric beauty of what China would be. So I just think it’s beautiful and lovely,” he said.

Through dance and music, Shen Yun has a mission to revive authentic Chinese culture, showcasing 5,000 years of China before communism.

“Lovely dancing, and the stories are fun. The stories are wonderful, and I just think it’s a beautiful display of a time from the past,” said Mark Hastings, a doctor.

One story that really resonated with Mr. Barbour was a presentation of Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted for their faith in modern-day China.

“I really appreciated the Dafa [piece]. I thought that it really showed the commitment of having faith and believing in something bigger than yourself. That resonated with me, to stay in alignment with something that perhaps maybe you cannot touch but can only be felt,” he said.

Mr. Hastings said that he enjoyed a dance that depicted the love between a young lad and a goddess.

“He waited and longed for her, and I think it’s a powerful story of love,” he said.

The stories that Shen Yun brings to life come from Chinese history, myth, legend, and literature.

“I think having history and stories passed on from generation to generation is part of Chinese culture. I love that you are bringing it back to a modern generation,” said Mr. Hastings.

Despite the way audiences around the world welcome Shen Yun to their local theaters, Shen Yun is unable to perform in China.

“I think it’s hard to hear that. It’s sort of sad in a way, because the new generation is missing out on valuable parts of history. ... It’s hard to imagine repressing beauty and love and culture. It’s just hard to understand because it’s so wonderful,” said Mr. Hastings.

Mr. Hastings said that he wished Shen Yun was performing more in Portland so that his friends would be able to experience it as well.