TORONTO—Ad man Jeffrey Gottheil didn’t know what to expect when he arrived at Sony Centre to take in Shen Yun Performing Arts on Saturday evening, but by intermission he was sold on the classical Chinese dance and music performance. 

“It’s very enjoyable,” he said. “It turned out very nice, very different.”

Mr. Gottheil, the president and creative director at J. Gottheil Marketing Communications Inc., is a specialist in marketing communications with over 30 years experience designing advertising and marketing programs for national retailers, manufacturers, and government agencies.

Accompanying him to Shen Yun—the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company—was Michelle Chang, a risk manager in the banking sector. 

Ms. Chang was pleasantly surprised by the folk dances featured in the performance—particularly a dance called Mongolian Chopsticks.

“It’s unexpected—I thought I would see what I’ve seen in the past, but I’ve never seen the chopsticks dance before,” she said. 

“That was very good,” added Mr. Gottheil.

According to the program book, in the dance Mongolian male dancers use chopsticks to create a crisp and exciting staccato beat as they dance with fast, furious footwork—a testament to their free-spirited vitality. 

“It’s really good,” said Ms. Chang.

“How it comes alive, very nice,” added Mr. Gottheil. 

He described the first half of the Shen Yun performance as “fun and exciting,” and said he couldn’t wait to see the rest of the show.

“I’m looking forward to the next half,” he said. 

Reporting by Justina Wheale

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

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