Shen Yun Performing Arts has launched its 20th anniversary tour, in which the New York-based performing arts company’s eight troupes will tour 170 cities across five continents over the next five months, giving more than 730 performances.

“It’s a journey we dreamed of taking,” said Jean-Louis Janin Daviet, art curator at the Musée de l'Hôtel Abbatial, after seeing the first performance in Amneville, France, on Dec. 18. Daviet has served as a director for a number of artistic and cultural organizations, and is a recipient of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, a prestigious award managed by the French Ministry of culture that honors those who make significant contributions to arts, literature, and culture.

He felt the performance woke all five senses. “You almost feel like you can smell the lotus flowers when they are carried by the [dancers],” he said.

“Through this show, we can see things as evoked by the [emcees] who elegantly present each scene to us: These periods of suffering, these periods of prohibition, these periods of mythology, and these periods of incredible and fantastic stories. I find it to be an absolutely extraordinary vision of China.”

Artist Sonya Dziabas saw Shen Yun’s first performance in France. “Through dance, it speaks profoundly about Chinese culture and classical Chinese dance, about the period before communism,” she said at the Galaxie Amnéville theater.

“It touched me deeply,” she said, adding that Shen Yun is spreading a ”message of hope.”

“I understand that [many] of the dancers ... are Chinese artists living in exile in New York, in the United States,” she said. “That makes it even more powerful and beautiful. These are Chinese citizens who have gone into exile and are giving their very best through art—through this show.”

Founded in New York in 2006, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a mission to showcase, and revive, “China before communism” through the arts.

In the United States, the first of this season’s performances began on Dec. 24 in San Jose, California, followed by Houston on Dec. 26; Waterbury, Connecticut, on Dec. 27; Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 27. On Dec. 30, Shen Yun will also begin its Asia tour, in Taipei, Taiwan.

Jennifer Mullins and her family attended Shen Yun at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Christmas Eve.

“The first thing that comes to mind is just the beauty of it all,” Mullins said. “It’s overwhelmingly beautiful. If you are trying to get back in touch with your Creator, whoever that might be, this is a great way to do it.

“I’m very inspired. Especially this time of year, when we’re all so stressed out and just struggling with work and trying to have the perfect Christmas for the family—this was nice to kind of decompress and enjoy,” she said.

“The beauty and the flow and the art [of Shen Yun,] it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen. ... It touched me personally, for sure.”

On Dec. 26, Houston Council Member Edward Pollard attended Shen Yun’s first performance of the season at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. He brought with him a Certificate of Recognition honoring the company’s 20th anniversary.

“For two decades, Shen Yun has been a beacon of artistic excellence, preserving and celebrating the rich heritage of classical Chinese culture through music, dance, and storytelling,” the certificate reads.

“The Houston City Council and the residents of our great city proudly honor Shen Yun Performing Arts for its extraordinary contributions to Houston’s cultural vibrancy, its commitment to artistic mastery, and its continued dedication to sharing world-class performances with our community year after year.”

Pollard said he thought the artists were excellent.

“The dancers were incredible. They were so precise. They were so technical,“ he said. ”You saw the emotion of each different performance from past history all the way to the present. It was a great journey.”

“The orchestra was great. All of the different sounds and the music that they were able to provide while the dancers were performing went perfect. A big shout-out goes to the MCs as well, they really explained what we were watching, the importance and historical history of each dance, and I thought it was just excellent all around.

“Seeing it on videos or hearing about it does not do it justice,” he added. “You have to come and see it with your own eyes, and I guarantee you, you won’t be disappointed.”