SALT LAKE CITY—Shen Yun Performing Arts took to the stage at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater on Feb. 21 for the first of its six shows in Salt Lake City this season, with theatergoers reporting joy, surprise, and even hope for the world after the experience.

It was a simple goal: “Be nice to each other, to love each other—care about each other.”

“To live God’s way, our Creator’s way. To just be kind to each other. And in the end, you know, we all go back with our Creator, right?” Ms. Bowerbank said.

Ms. Bowerbank, uplifted by the performance, left with a handful of pamphlets about Shen Yun, which she said she would be sharing with all her friends so as to encourage them to not miss such an experience.

“And I will come next year too, if they come back,” she said.

“I like the way that each one of the dances has a bit of a theme and an emotion that has a story element with it,” he said, adding that though he had no dance experience himself, “I can tell what they’re trying to do, and it comes through and it’s very inspiring.”

He felt “underlying spiritual themes being represented,” which the dancers conveyed.

“I really enjoy the idea that the divine comes through any person, especially those who try to follow and seek virtue. And in the dancers’ movements, you can see this ideal being demonstrated and advocated,” he said.

Like Ms. Bowerbank, he thought, “everybody should see it for sure; it’s well worth every bit they spent to come see [Shen Yun].”

“I wish them every success,” said Philip Brown, retired chemistry professor. “I'd advise everybody who can possibly do it to come and see it. I just think it’s so very uplifting. It will give anybody joy anytime they hear it.”

Annie Brown said she had already recommended their daughter, who agreed to see Shen Yun when its tour in Australia begins.

“We find with the Chinese people, they’re beautiful people and we know they are not the CCP (Chinese Communist Party),” Mrs. Brown added.

Mr. Brown felt he was uplifted by the visual and invisible beauty the dancers transmitted.

“I really enjoyed it. I thoroughly appreciated the spiritual thoughts behind it. I just agree with them,” he said. “That’s a great part of our life.”