EDINBURGH, UK—Retired bank executive Graeme McNaughton had never seen Shen Yun Performing Arts before he attended the company’s opening performance at the Edinburgh Playhouse on Feb. 10. Exiting the theater, Mr. McNaughton was deeply impressed.

“I think it’s quite spectacular,” he said. “It’s really quite inspirational. I love the flowing movements and the colors. It’s really touching, quite honestly.”

He was also moved by the passion and athleticism of the performers.

“They’ve all got big smiles on their faces, and they’ve got a huge amount of energy. I enjoy the comedic bits as well. There’s a lot of life in the performances.”

Upon learning that Shen Yun artists are not only masters of classical Chinese dance but strive to uphold the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance—cultivating both artistic excellence and inner character, Mr. McNaughton said he could sense this commitment on stage.

“It comes through very strongly. You can see it in their movements, in their energy, the way they dominate the stage, and the athletic ability that they have,” he said.

“Clearly, they are very much into their performances. They feel it in many levels, and that comes through to the audience. I could feel it from the [audience] around me; they were quite inspired by it.”

For Mr. McNaughton, the performance offered the promise of hope.

“The message [is] that the world is not necessarily a dark place; there is inspiration out there. People are inherently good, and people just want to live a decent life, help each other, and be happy.”

“It’s like nothing they will ever have seen before,” he added. “Once you come away with it, you’ll never forget it.”