ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Writer Zala Zia was captivated by Shen Yun Performing Arts’ portrayal of 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through music and dance.

“I love the show,” Ms. Zia said after she attended Shen Yun with her husband at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, on March 1. “We thought it was amazing, very beautiful.”

“I think the most amazing part was to learn the history,” Ms. Zia said. “There is a lot of history that we think that we know from movies and everything. But from here, it’s so much more rich and diverse, and I think you start to realize how much diversity there is within the country.”

New York-based Shen Yun has the mission to revitalize traditional Chinese culture and history through classical Chinese dance. World-class dancers portray ethnic dances, legends, and stories from both ancient and modern China.

“I love how many different types of dance there are, or classical interpretations that come from each different region,” she added. “They’re all so different.”

Ms. Zia also thought the spiritual aspect of the show was beautiful and resonated with her own thoughts and beliefs. “That’s something that I myself identify with, and my husband. We are very spiritual people,” she said.

“I love the fact that it changes every year, so that means we’ll probably come back and watch another one,” she added.

Software engineer Sufyan Subzwari, who attended the performance with Ms. Zia, agreed that he “loved very much the spiritual and cultural part of the show. ... It’s nice to see how beautifully they expressed it in song and dance.”

“Specifically what I enjoyed was the singing, the interludes where we had the soprano singer come out,” said Mr. Subzwari. “She had a very lovely voice.”

Each Shen Yun dance is accompanied by a live orchestra that combines Eastern and Western musical traditions. Vocalists sing songs that express traditional cultural values of China.

“I loved the show very much,” said Mr. Subzwari. “It was very, very beautiful.”

Visual Beauty Amazes Photographer

Also in attendance was photojournalist Richard Eaton, who said the performance was “marvelous” and “incredible.”

“As a photographer I was amazed and just enjoyed every moment of it. It’s a very visual experience, it’s overwhelming, really,” Mr. Eaton said.

Mr. Eaton was impressed by the state-of-the-art digital backdrop that sets the scene for each Shen Yun piece. The scenery complements the dancers’ vibrantly colored costumes and stunning choreography to create a visual spectacle that has become a worldwide phenomenon.

“It was difficult for me not to take pictures,” said Mr. Eaton.

“It brings out the ancient history of China and then it follows through and brings us up to the present time,” said Mr. Eaton. “The wonderful thing about it is that it seems the good always prevails. ... It’s a wonderful experience.”

Reporting by NTD Television and Sally Appert

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.