From the moment the curtain lifted, the Sticklens said they were struck by the wide array of the colors, while the performance gave them a feeling of being “peaceful.”

“The dancing is very well done—coordinated, very precise—and beautiful coloring,” Mrs. Sticklen said.

“It was uplifting,” her husband said. “Many things you see pull people down; this lifts people up.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s leading classical Chinese dance production. Through the universal language of music and dance, the company presents story-based pieces that depict heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales spanning 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.

Shen Yun also features a one-of-a-kind orchestra that permanently blends traditional Chinese instruments into a classical Western orchestra. Reviving the traditional bel canto singing in the upper register, only Shen Yun’s singers are known to use this traditional technique on the modern stage, according to its website.

“That was excellent … and his voice was just beautiful,” he said. “I loved his message of the Creator. … We all think we can do it all by ourselves, and we can’t—we have to rely on our Creator to do things.”

Along with myths and legends from ancient times, Shen Yun also presents story-based dances depicting the present-day persecution of Falun Dafa, also called Falun Gong, a meditation and spiritual discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

“It was very well done and so true,” said Mrs. Sticklen. “Things are hidden with … how they [are] collecting organs from this group of people. … So, we probably should talk more about that, not to keep it hidden.”

“Anywhere in the world, it’s always important to let people know that evil things are going on,” Mr. Sticklen said.