NORTHAMPTON, U.K.—Following many years in anticipation of seeing them perform, Kevin Grice said that Shen Yun Performing Arts exceeded his expectations.

“I loved it, absolutely loved it … I found it fantastic,” he said from the Royal & Derngate theatre complex in Northampton on Jan. 20.

Mr. Brice owns a transport company in Bedford, 20 miles south of Northampton.

“What I liked about [the dancing] is the expressions that the performers give,” Mr. Grice said. “Their facial expressions and the way that their hands were telling the story … you can interpret what the meanings are.”

According to Shen Yun’s website, classical Chinese dance involves a dance-acting element where coordinating facial expressions with physical movements results in an amplified form of expression.

“The culture is thousands of years [old],” he said. “... As Westerners are learning more and more in time, that’s what’s interesting … there’s so much to learn.”

Accountant Sakil Dhanji gifted his wife, Ashifa Dhanji, tickets to the Shen Yun performance at the Royal & Derngate on Jan. 20.

Having seen the show advertised, Mr. Dhanji said, “It looked amazing.”

“From the start to the end, they go through the ages … I loved it—It was superb!”

Along with myths and legends from ancient times, Shen Yun presents story-based dances portraying modern-day persecution in China, including that of Falun Dafa, a meditation discipline that promotes the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

“I think the storytelling … was quite emotional,” he said. “Just the right way of getting across their message in the right way.”

“It’s quite uplifting in terms of the messages,” he said.

Shen Yun performs at top theatres worldwide with a mission to revive the essence of China’s 5,000-year-old culture. However, the company is banned by the CCP from performing in China.

“I was taken aback that they can’t perform in China,” Mrs. Dhanji said. “The children back in China … need to realize the point that [Shen Yun’s] making.”

“We [will] definitely come again,” Mr. Dhanji said after the performance. “Come in and support it,” he encouraged others.