NEW YORK CITY—Laura Schettino-Haggerty had expected something “visually stunning” from Shen Yun Performing Arts, and after attending the long-awaited performance, found all that and more.

“The performance has been beautiful,” said Ms. Schettino, manager of a construction company, who saw Shen Yun with her husband Tom Haggerty, who works in IT, at Lincoln Center on April 4. “All the dancers are in such sync and move with such grace and elegance. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s very impressive,” Mr. Haggerty said. “Very beautiful show.”

“They’re elegant and beautiful and they convey with the music and their body language, they convey a beautiful story. It’s just a beautiful story,” she said. “Beautiful performance, absolutely beautiful, stunning.”

“It’s very lighthearted and uplifting,” she said. “And I find that I’ve just been smiling the whole time I’ve watched it.”

“I wish we were back there, and things were different,” she said. “I wish those traditions, although not mine, I wish older traditions came back.”