SYDNEY, Australia—Storyboard artist Andrew Bell brought his mother, Jodi, to enjoy Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee at the Sydney Lyric on March 29.

As an artist himself, he was deeply impressed by the company’s remarkable ability to convey compelling stories without the use of dialogue.

“The show was beautifully put together. It was very moving, very emotional. And the costume, the colors, and the talent—so wonderful,” he said.

“It was very clear—the stories of values and virtues, talking about being kind to others, and how that was important.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun performers 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.

Mesmerized by the experience, Mr. Bell praised every aspect of the performance.

“Sometimes I just find myself moved by the beauty of the display, sometimes it was the message—it was moving, sometimes it was simply the presentation was beautiful. You can feel the positivity coming from the performance.”

Spirituality once played a central role in ancient Chinese culture, where it was believed that the arts and moral values were divinely inspired and passed down to humanity. However, following the communist takeover in 1949, atheism was promoted and many traditional beliefs and practices were erased.

Mr. Bell appreciated Shen Yun’s mission to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and spirituality. He was particularly touched by a story-based dance in which an elderly couple helps a young beggar when no one else would, and in return receives a magical reward for their kindness.

He also found it meaningful to see how traditional values transcend cultural boundaries.

“The main theme is that everyone has the same values,” he said. “No matter where they from. They came through, too, in the stories and we do share those values.”

“It showed you, [that you] need to be authentic, when you trying to embed those values, you cannot do it from a selfish place,” he said.

Since its establishment in 2006, the New York-based Shen Yun has earned widespread acclaim. Each year, the artists present a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions, ensuring that both new and returning audience members are always in for a surprise.