NEW YORK CITY—Stefania Panepinto and Joe Rodrigues saw Shen Yun Performing Arts with family—a party of 18—and even their children, ages 4 and 6. Though Ms. Panepinto didn’t know how the young children would take to sitting through a two-hour performing arts event for the first time, they were captivated.

“They were mesmerized by it. And we all loved it,” said Ms. Panepinto, an art advisor, after seeing Shen Yun at Lincoln Center on April 6.

“[The] performance was breathtaking. Their dancing, the energy, everything was really beautiful and we’re very, very impressed. And they should be very proud of themselves,” she said.

“I felt like I was in an art piece watching [the classical Chinese dance]. It was definitely like the composition, the color. They had the different contrasting colors and it was just very, very captivating,” she said.

Eduardo LaGuerre, the founder of a charter school, also thought Shen Yun would be a wonderful performance to show young people.

“What I'd like to do is bring some of my students over here to the show,” he said after seeing the matinee on April 6. “I will introduce it to my entire student body. I have like 1,200 kids.”

Mr. LaGuerre said their school in Yonkers also has a large performing arts program, and he was inspired for their next production.

“It’s very moving, extremely moving. You can actually feel your body moving with the rhythm, when you see the performances on stage,” he said. “We enjoyed it very much.”

Tatyana Niyazov, a dentist, came with friends and family, and said they would be telling their children they must see the performance next time.

“Next year and the following year, we’re going to send, all of us are going to send our kids to see this beautiful show,” Ms. Niyazov said. She said she herself had wanted to see Shen Yun nearly 20 years ago, when the company first began, but it was only this year that she could get everyone together to see the show.

Dan Gray, a finance director, is one such audience member who has seen Shen Yun multiple times.

“Seven in a row, yeah, seventh time. Every year we come, I take my wife, and we love it. It’s good for the soul,” he said. “It calms your nerves, and everything is beautiful, and every year it’s different. We just love it. Nothing like it. We really enjoy it. It’s great.”

Tom O'Boyle, a director of events, was similarly moved.

“Just a good feeling comes through your—through the soul,” he said.

Awesome show, beautiful dancing, beautiful people. Enjoyed the culture, enjoyed being a part of it. Inspirational,” he said.