MONTREAL—Artist Didier Mercadal says the various elements of Shen Yun Performing Arts work together to create a stunning image on the stage, one that almost moved him to tears a few times.

“The unity and the choreographies that are done in a very precise and synchronized way, it tells a story. We know that, but visually it’s a combination that is already thought out and it’s made to be seen as a vast picture in fact, and yet each individual person brings something important [to the performance].”

Mr. Mercadal said he was particularly moved by the opening scene, which shows a “sublime and lofty paradise” as explained in the program book.

“The opening scene is so aerial, and emotionally it’s so striking that my heart was full at that moment. I think I almost cried,” he said.

“We all have a fundamental common ground in fact,” he said. “We may speak differently, but speak of the same things in the end.”

“It’s for that reason that it’s necessary that one sees it several times,” he said.

“I looked at the program. The composers and others are extremely skilled and organized people. I believe that there is a lot of heart in it, it’s not just a product in fact. They do it with a thought behind it, and I think it touches people if you are open enough to it,” he said.

“It takes extraordinary determination by the artists to get to that level [of skills].”

“It’s a system that is mind-blowing, and it gives a lot of room for creativity to the artists who create this show, with the interactions between the 3-D set and the characters in the foreground. It’s extraordinary,” he said.

“Everything is well-elaborated [in the backdrops], extremely precise with the colors, the matching features. It’s astonishing. It’s a feast for the eyes.”

“It’s the first time I’ve attended, and I already want to see it again.”