ATLANTA—Shen Yun translates into “the beauty of divine being dancing,” and on Jan. 7 at the Atlanta Symphony Hall, a former classical dancer explained just how accurate the company’s name was.

“They’re clearly all very musical, their phrasing was exquisite, they’re tremendous athletes,” she said.

“Technically challenging? Oh!” Ms. Lukert said, explaining that the tumbling techniques seen in Shen Yun were not found elsewhere.

Classical Chinese dance is technically challenging, including dynamic flips and tumbling techniques as the originator of gymnastics. It is also famously expressive, with some roots in opera, and demands that a dancer’s inner emotions drive the body into movement.

“So in classical ballet, when you turn, you’re focused on a point and you return to that point. Generally, you pick a point at eye level, and that’s how you keep from getting dizzy. Here, their focal points were on the ceiling, and on the floor—I would fall over. I’ve danced for years and years, and I would fall over if I did that,” she said.

“This lifestyle that they have chosen is not just a profession. They all have to be so completely immersed in it, and so passionate about what they do, so I think it’s challenging on so many different levels,” she said.

“The stories were just mesmerizing. ... I didn’t know anything about this faith belief system before I came, and I can see how they’re growing that faith, because they are so exquisite and so excellent at what they do, they have set such a high standard for themselves and each other, that I think that’s going to endear people to their subject matter.”

“It was amazing,” she said.