BREMEN, Germany —“I truly feel that everyone on stage, every artist in the orchestra pit, and even those working behind the scenes are working to honor their Creator. From the first note to the very end, I could feel that,” said Gareth Dakin, headmaster of a Christian private school in Hamburg, after attending Shen Yun.

On the afternoon of March 11, Shen Yun Performing Arts presented its opening performance in Bremen at the Metropol Theater Bremen. It was the third time Mr. Dakin had attended Shen Yun in the city.

“Every time I see the performance, it feels like a mixture of intense sensory impressions—the richness of the colors, the music, but also the storytelling and the backgrounds,” he said. “Sometimes when the curtain opens, you just think, ‘Wow, those colors are striking.’”

According to Mr. Dakin, this third experience was particularly powerful.

“Today was the third time I’ve seen it, and for me it was clearly the strongest time,” he said. “I really felt carried along, and the whole performance felt very well-rounded.”

Mr. Dakin praised the coordination between dance, music, and multimedia elements in the performance.

“Because I’ve worked as a musician myself, I can truly appreciate how much dedication and precision the musicians, dancers, conductor, and multimedia presentation bring together,” he said. “How it all comes together so precisely deserves great respect.”

As someone who has also worked as a musician in churches, Mr. Dakin said he could sense the performers’ heartfelt devotion.

“I can feel the passion they bring to what they do,” he said. “You can sense that they want to offer what they do—how they play, dance, and sing—to their Creator.”

Mr. Dakin said the stories depicting forced organ harvesting deeply touched him.

“Every time the story about organ harvesting becomes clear through the dramaturgy, it moves me very much,” he said. “When this is shown through dance, the message comes across very clearly, and it is very stirring.”

At the same time, other performances brought him joy.

“Honestly, today I felt great joy during the Monkey King story,” he said. “That was a completely different feeling—it was portrayed in a very humorous way. I also really liked the story with the old man and his donkey.”

The old man riding a donkey refers to Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Immortals of Taoist mythology.

Mr. Dakin added that Shen Yun’s staging creates a unique sense of anticipation each time the curtain rises.

“Unlike many other shows where the curtain stays open the whole time, here there’s always that moment of anticipation before it opens,” he said. “You wonder what will appear first and which characters will come on stage.”

One scene in particular gave him the feeling of being transported to another realm.

“Especially at the beginning of the second half, when the mist filled the stage, you really feel as if you’re in the clouds—like being in heaven,” he said.

Reflecting on Shen Yun’s cultural themes, Mr. Dakin said he gained a new appreciation for traditional Chinese culture.

“From what I’ve seen in the performance about China before communism, it was an enormous, vibrant, and culturally rich country with honorable virtues,” he said. “Those are virtues we could all still use today.”

He further explained that the virtues portrayed in the show include integrity and keeping one’s word.

“It means being honorable and keeping your word,” he said. “When you promise to do something, you follow through—even if it takes longer or becomes uncomfortable. I value that very much.”

In closing, Mr. Dakin expressed admiration for the team behind the production.

“Whoever conceived it, organized it, composed the music, and created the choreography—my respect,” he said. “I would say it is very successful.”