LONDON—On Jan. 11, lawyers Gabby and Colin Harley watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Eventim Apollo. Mrs. Harley said that she had been wanting to see Shen Yun for a long time and was glad to finally see the performance.

“It’s just magnificent,” Mrs. Harley said. “The movements, the colors, the way it was all put together—it’s just fantastic. It was a great experience.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception in 2006, Shen Yun’s mission has been to revive traditional Chinese culture and show audiences the beauty of China before communism.

Mr. Harley said that he enjoyed the visual effects and the vividness of the costumes.

Mrs. Harley shared that she thought taking her half-Chinese daughter to see Shen Yun would be a good way to show her daughter what traditional Chinese culture was like.

“Every culture should keep its traditions,” Mr. Harley said.

Also in the audience was Rob Bridgman, a solicitor, who watched Shen Yun with his parents, John and Lindsey Bridgman.

“I enjoyed the variety of different dancing we saw, [and] the different cultural aspects we could see,” Mr. Bridgman said.

The Bridgmans expressed their appreciation for Shen Yun’s live orchestra, which consists of a unique blend of traditional Chinese and Western instruments. The family took special notice of the erhu, a two-stringed traditional Chinese instrument.

Mr. John Bridgman enjoyed seeing the contrast between pre- and post-communist China, and said that Shen Yun was an “excellent portrayal of Chinese culture.” He was also impressed by Shen Yun’s patented animated backdrop, calling it “one of the highlights” and what “makes [Shen Yun] really spectacular.” The backdrop, which has long been a fan favorite, allows performers to move seamlessly between the stage and background.