CLAREMONT, Calif.—Insurance agency owner Marvin Arevalo surprised his wife, Claudia, with tickets to Shen Yun Performing Arts at Bridges Auditorium on Saturday evening, and both said they loved the performance and would return for years to come.

“I loved everything,” said Ms. Arevalo. “[From] the beginning to the end.”

He said Claudia, a homemaker, has been wanting to go for years, but the performances were often sold out. This year, he bought the tickets in secret, and on Saturday, he didn’t tell her where they were going.

“So she was excited,” he said. “To see her with the smile and everything made my day.”

The performance highlights the country’s ancient role as “The Land of the Divine” and offers tales full of sacrifice, loyalty, and compassion in story-based dances, along with ethnic and folk dance, classical dance pieces, and musical soloists.

“We’re firm believers of God,” said Mr. Arevalo. “The spiritual aspect of it touched home, because we felt it. When we were in there while watching the performance ... we felt the energy.”

At one point, he said he felt chills watching the heavenly scenes.

“When you’re very spiritual like that, you know,” Ms. Arevalo said. “If you believe in it, you’re going to feel [it] in your heart. And it’s just amazing.”

“Aside from the dancing, the performing ... the dresses, the dress, the costumes ... everything about it was just amazing,” he said. “The emcees, they were amazing, too.”

Ms. Arevalo also said the dancing was “just beautiful” and said she could tell it took a lot of work and discipline to master the techniques.

The couple said they would recommend their friends see the performance.

“Oh yes, 100 percent,” said Mr. Arevalo. “And to know that every year they do different performances, we’re definitely hooked now for the years to come.”