From the very first note and the first strike of the gong, the audience knows they are in for something special. An orchestra blending the musical traditions of the classical West and ancient China begins to play. The curtains draw, revealing a bright new world in heavenly, jewel-like tones. Shen Yun Performing Arts, a favorite of audiences worldwide, is returning to the stage this month, making its first stop in Stamford, Connecticut. New York-based Shen Yun has risen to become the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company within just a dozen years, reviving an ancient art form that was lost in China under communist rule. In 2006, artists from around the world, including some who escaped persecution in China, came together in New York to form an arts company that could revive the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, and present true traditional Chinese culture to the world. As of today, …