Mr. Dipoto, associate athletic director of finance at Rutgers University, said he learned much about ancient and modern China just through dance.

“I’m having a really good time,” Mr. Dipoto said. “I love the costumes, and it’s really interesting to learn a lot about the culture because I feel like today our perception of China is all political, so it’s good to see what it’s actually about.”

“There’s so much ancient history that nobody really knows about so I think that’s really interesting,” Mr. Dipoto said.

“I think the message is to keep tradition in culture, specifically the divine, and how that’s really important because I think we’ve lost that as a culture,” he added. “I think it’s a good reminder.”

“I thought it was absolutely marvelous, amazingly talented performers, and I felt they were suspended in air, on their way to the divine heavens. Very beautiful,” said Mr. Nelson.

Ms. Galliano said she loved the costumes. “I certainly wish couture lines and designers presented things like this,” she said. “Everything was very elegant, and it was a quiet love for the show.”

“You can see the diligence and the loyalty, to present this show,” she said. “You can tell it’s hours and years of work, because it is flawless.”

“I can see why,” he said. “They would lose face—and they should, they should lose more than face.”

“It was very transcending. I felt very calm, spiritually healed, it made me want better things for this world,” he said.

“It gave us the full story,” she said.

Mr. Nelson appreciated Shen Yun’s efforts. “And hopefully, sometime in the future, things will change—not only in the world, but especially in China.”