NORTHAMPTON, UK—Michaela Kalaria, who works in finance, had loved the beauty of Shen Yun Performing Arts so much when she first experienced it that made sure to see it again this year when Shen Yun was in the UK.

“What really struck me was the elegance and just how it all flew. And it’s just so nice to watch, absolutely gorgeous to watch,” Ms. Kalaria said after seeing Shen Yun at the Royal & Derngate on Feb. 18.

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company. Its name is an homage to the divinely inspired traditional Chinese culture, translating as “the beauty of divine beings dancing.”

First time audience members often say that Shen Yun is something that must be experienced live at least once in your lifetime, and quite a few say they intend to see it more than once. Ms. Kalaria explained why she returned.

“It was just the experience, to get a little bit of experience of the culture as well, and just seeing something beautiful,” Ms. Kalaria said. “I love beautiful things, and this was definitely one of them.”

“That definitely brought a bit more understanding to Chinese culture for me,” she said. “That was one of the amazing things that there was no verbal communication, but it was just all expressed through dance, beautifully.”

“It took me to a different place,” Ms. Kalaria said.

“I truly enjoyed it. It was just a beautiful performance,” she said.