VANCOUVER—The grace and athleticism inherent in classical Chinese dance delighted ballet instructor Joanne Pussalp upon seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Jan. 24.

“It’s beautiful, lovely. I loved it,” said Ms. Pussalp after the performance.

Shen Yun’s centerpiece is classical Chinese dance, an ancient art form built upon a deep foundation of traditional aesthetics. According to the Shen Yun website, it entails systematic training in movements and postures, as well as very difficult jumping and tumbling techniques.

”It was very interesting to see,” said Ms. Pussalp.

“[The dancers’] flexibility is amazing, along with their strength and control. Incredible, the control part. They made everything look easy, effortless.”

Some of the pieces feature up to 20 performers dancing in sync.

”I loved the way the choreographers used the transition to get into different formations. I thought that was very clever, very fluent. Beautiful,” Ms. Pussalp said.

Many of Shen Yun’s classical dances are dedicated to telling stories from the Middle Kingdom’s 5,000-year history.

“It’s very interesting. I enjoyed that they had stories to go along with the dancing. It makes it kind of relatable, and the little bit of humor was nice too.”

Ms. Pussalp was also impressed by the Shen Yun Orchestra and its unique blend of Chinese and Western instruments.

”I loved how they used the instruments. … That was fun for me.

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.