VENICE, Fla.—The Bible is the most printed, sold, and read book in the world—but was banned in communist China, where Lynne Hansen visited in the early 1990s for the sole reason of smuggling in Bibles.

China was once called the “Land of the Divine” and its people lived with deep reverence for the heavens, Shen Yun explains on its website. But this civilization was uprooted with the takeover by the foreign atheist ideology of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949.

“It’s very spiritual, it’s very beautiful, I enjoyed it thoroughly,” Ms. Hansen said.

Mr. Biehler added, “They did a wonderful job. It’s amazing.”

“Such unified commitment to the spirit of dance, to the spirit of life. It was just profoundly moving,” said Ms. Weil, who leads a creative life as an author, actress, and teacher.

“I appreciated it was brave, and it was honest to show the persecution that exists still in China. It’s heartbreaking. I wish more people understood the true aims of the CCP,” she said.

“And it has to start somewhere, so I think it started here,” she said.

“I’m really very moved by it. I think the external beauty of this, the quality of it represents what’s going on inside, and the commitment is stunning to me. The leader is stunning to me. His achievements, his commitment, his courage, everybody’s commitment, because this is a life’s work, isn’t it?” she said.

“The expression of every movement, of every dance, the meaning behind everything that was choreography meant freedom for people in China,” said Ms. Miller, who attended the performance to celebrate her 78th birthday, fulfilling a decade-long wish.

“It really does [showcase universal values]. And for people to come here and get it, [they] get the meaning behind it but also to walk away from this with a sense of more value for the Chinese culture,” she said.