SAN LORENZO DE EL ESCORIAL, Spain—José Muñoz watched a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts on Feb. 27 at the Teatro Auditorio San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

A sociologist and anthropologist by profession, Mr. Muñoz calls himself a “learner of Chinese culture and philosophy.” He said that Chinese philosophy “was very well represented [in Shen Yun] with a few brushstrokes,” and that for someone who wants to learn about Chinese culture, watching Shen Yun is “a good start.”

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture—which is based on Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—through dance and music. Audience members not only pick up the stories and the humor in Shen Yun’s dance dramas, but also the profound messages the pieces convey.

Mr. Muñoz was particularly connected with the story dance about Zhang Guolao, a Taoist immortal. He said about the dance piece, “I really like how they convey the essence of Taoism and Buddhism with very few images and very simple choreographies. The typical solitary Taoist character—the Taoist monk who lives on the margins; in the end, he knows how to mock authority and escape—is very well represented.”