MINNEAPOLIS—Dr. Leo Parvis has read extensively on China and its culture, but he had never encountered anything quite like Shen Yun.

“This is an amazing show; I’ve never seen such a thing in my life,” said Dr. Parvis, a college professor of China studies, when he attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Orpheum Theatre on Feb. 15.

New York-based Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through classical Chinese dance and music, portraying stories and legends from ancient and modern China.

“This is something that people should think about and see how wonderful it is, that we learn from performing arts, that we learn about the real life,” said Dr. Parvis.

Each performance of Shen Yun is a visual wonder of choreography, colorful handcrafted costumes, and world-class dancers. Accompanying the dance pieces is a state-of-the-art digital backdrop and a live orchestra that combines Eastern and Western music, according to the company’s website.

“The show is one of the best of all time,” said Dr. Parvis.

He appreciated the Shen Yun stories that depict real events China today, such as the dance piece “The Steadfast Lotus” about the Falun Dafa spiritual practice that is persecuted by the Chinese regime.

“This is really awakening, I think,” said Dr. Parvis. “On a daily basis I read about these things, I read about China; I read about Falun Dafa.”

Dr. Parvis commented on the importance of the universal principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance depicted in that dance, and adhered to by Falun Dafa practitioners.

“These words are amazing, these are the real words for the people of humanity, for all human beings,” he said.

Shen Yun has toured the world for eight years, but it cannot perform in China due to the Communist regime’s suppression of traditional culture.

“The thing that you’re doing is great, going throughout the United States and also going around the world,” said Dr. Parvis.

“One day, I hope this show can be shown in China,” he said.

Reporting by Sherry Dong and Sally Appert

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

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.