SAO PAULO, Brazil—News anchor Paula Leal described Shen Yun Performing Arts as “a beautiful presentation” after attending the company’s matinee at the Bradesco Theater on May 3.

A former dancer herself, she was especially impressed by the exceptional skill and talent of Shen Yun’s performers.

“It’s a beautiful [dance]. The perfect choreography and the dancers’ synchronization caught my attention, as well as the costumes and beautiful colors,” Ms. Leal said. “It filled us with joy—a truly worthwhile show.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun artists are masters of classical Chinese dance, an ancient and highly expressive art form dating back thousands of years.

Unlike the modern, military-influenced styles often seen in China today, Shen Yun preserves and performs this tradition in its most authentic form, as it was originally passed down through generations.

Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, the artists tell tales from ancient times to the modern day.

Ms. Leal thought Shen Yun’s stories were “very well told” and appreciated the bilingual hosts, who offered a brief introduction before each program to share “a little of the legends, of folklore, and of the reason behind each of those dances.”

“It brought Brazil close to China with this ancient history,” she added. “The stories that were being told through music, dance, costumes, colors, as well as the 3D digital backdrop, gave us a moment of immersion in art.”

As one of the oldest civilizations in the world, China’s 5,000 years of history is filled with breathtaking legends and rich traditions. Yet, within just a few decades of the Chinese communists’ rise to power, this magnificent culture was destroyed.

The spread of atheism almost completely eradicated the Chinese people’s belief in the divine. The cherished virtues and values learned from the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism almost disappeared overnight.

Today, Shen Yun is working to revive this lost civilization and bring back to the world through dance and music, the beauty of pre-communist China.

“Without a doubt, [Shen Yun] puts us in touch with a little spirituality that is so lacking today,” Ms. Leal commented, reflecting on the spiritual side of the performance.

“They bring it with music, dance, choreography, and costume—that closeness to spirituality, and we need these connections so much.”

If ever given the chance to speak with the performers, Ms. Leal would like to “congratulate each of them.”

“It’s a job, I imagine, of a lot of dedication. I hope that they return to Brazil more often. [They] will always be very well received, and it was a pleasure having them here with us, in this show.”

Also attending the matinee was Vania Boaventura, the owner of a school, and Steven Figueira. They, too, were very impressed by the performance.

“Very, very beautiful. Delightful. I really enjoyed it,” Ms. Boaventura said. “Beautiful dance and dancers—everything was beautiful.”

She was especially amazed by the company’s use of 3D technology to seamlessly blend live action on stage with the animation in the backdrop. “I think it was amazing. The interaction of the dancers with everything was beautiful.”

This is already Mrs. Boaventura’s second time watching the performance, and she simply couldn’t get enough. The message she said she will be bringing home with her from the show is that “everything comes from heaven.”

Thinking about the artists’ mission to bring back traditional culture, Mrs. Boaventura said, “It doesn’t matter how developed [your country] is, you’ve got to always come back to your roots, because that’s what built up the story.”

“I think it’s very important. That’s the value that was passed on to me. So, I think it’s worth it completely. I love it,” she added.