SAN JOSE, Calif.—As one of the oldest civilizations on earth, China’s history is 5,000 years long and Shen Yun Performing Arts is bringing that history to life through music and dance.

“I really appreciate the historical context. The 5,000 years of tradition is pretty amazing,” said Kara Page, who works in marketing.

“That this is banned in China, and to have it seen here is pretty powerful,” she said.

Ms. Page was struck by how Shen Yun is so different from the China she knows.

“Beautiful. Stunning. I’m really surprised by how much color there is because I think that China is portrayed as very dark and not vibrant, and there’s so much vibrancy in the show. It’s really beautiful,” she commented.

Matt Quadro, who works in corporate real estate, was at Shen Yun with Ms. Page. He found the dancing to be incredible.

“I think it’s very well done. It’s beautiful colors, great dancing. Just incredible how in sync they are,” he said.

“I dance ... I just find it really interesting to see how they move their feet. The costumes are amazing. And the fact that there’s a story that goes with it, and it’s explained. I really appreciate that. So, it’s definitely a must-see for people. It’s very interesting,” she said.

Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“Beautiful costumes, great choreography. Just overall, really positive experience. I’ve been wanting to go for years, and it’s my first time,” said Ms. Page.

“I thought that was very ingenious. It was great. It’s seamless, the way they jump in and out of the screen,” said Ms. Page.

Mr. Quadro was also intrigued by Shen Yun’s patented backdrop technology.

“Very well done. I thought it was fun. I’m just curious, like, where did the dancers go?” he said.

“Oh, it’s great. I’ve never heard such traditional Chinese music ... It’s something very different,” said Mr. Quadro.

He added that the “mixture of traditional instruments” and the orchestra “meld together very well.”

Although they had known of Shen Yun for many years, this was the first time they'd come to see Shen Yun.

“I'd recommend to anybody to come to it,” said Mr. Quadro.