LOS ANGELES—Company vice president Dan Dauer has seen many musicals over the years, but Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening show at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Jan. 23 was unlike anything he’s ever experienced before.

“We loved it. It was very different from what we’ve seen before. It’s very interesting. The different uses of symbolism of animals and birds, and different colors and dancing, it was very nice,” Mr. Dauer said.

He was especially moved by the piece “Peacock Paradise,” where dancers appeared to float down from the heavenly clouds.

“Everything that they do here is just not dancing—It’s choreography with the colors and the animals and bringing things together. It makes it very nice,” he added.

“There’s another scene … where the women were able to put their legs way above their head, I thought ‘Oh my gosh, I can never do that.’”

According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance seen in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern styles. Only at Shen Yun can the audience experience it in its purest form, preserved as it was passed down through generations.

“I love the way [the dancers] could just come in and out of the video and pop. The first time they did it, I was like, ‘What just happened?’ So, it’s pretty neat,” he shared.

“I couldn’t believe how quickly they could change the sets. Just a blink and all of a sudden there’s six people on the stage and then they’re dancing, they’re moving. ... It was pretty interesting how things happened so quickly.”

“I had some new respect and understanding of how things used to be.”

Lastly, Mr. Dauer commends the artists for their efforts and said, “I’m impressed that [they] do a new one every year.”

“We’re really looking forward to seeing it next year because we had no idea what to expect. It was a fun evening, it’s something we haven’t done before, and I'd be looking to do it again.”