ATLANTA—Michael and Christine Bedwell were delighted with the performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Cobb Energy Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 31.

“I think it’s important for people to know reality and be able to see where you started. So I think it’s great that they do it,” she said.

Mrs. Bedwell added, “They do a lot of what’s coming from the heavens, [for example,] the monkey burst from an egg. I think there’s a lot of different snips of it, in my opinion.

“I respect other people’s beliefs, and it’s interesting for me to learn what other people think,” she said. “I love the colors and the energy. The dancers are really quite talented. The pace is good.”

She appreciated Shen Yun’s hosts, who speak in English and Mandarin to introduce each dance piece. “I think they keep it moving with being able to explain [the dances] and to help understand what’s happening.”

“I like the short skits,” he said. “I find that one entertaining.”

Mrs. Bedwell enjoyed how Shen Yun’s patented digital backdrop works with the performers to tell the story. “It was funny because they pull him in and they push him out. You couldn’t even see him doing it. I loved the analogy that it tied into what they were in the heavens,” she said.

She also liked ‘Water Sleeves,’ where dancers use their long sleeves as part of the dance. “It’s very fluid. All of them just keep moving and choreograph with each other really well. It is very graceful.”

A violinist for a chamber music group, Mr. Cross said he plays all over the world and had a wonderful impression of the orchestra. “The orchestra is fantastic,” he said. “They’re all remarkably talented. Your concert master is an incredible violinist. Usually, in a live performance, you realize that it’s a live performance because the orchestra is not that good. In this case, they’re so good that you forget that they’re listening to a live performance. It’s extraordinary.”

The whole performance impressed Mr. Cross. Regarding the dancers, he said they were “extraordinary and beautiful.” As part of the dance pieces, Shen Yun uses a patented backdrop where performers seemingly jump in and out of the story’s landscape. “That was really cool,” Mr. Cross said. “Really unique.”

Many in the audience describe how Shen Yun gives them a culturally elevating experience, that it is inspirational and uplifting.

Mr. Cross said, “I was so glad to see that there was a celebration of what the traditions were prior to the communist regime. I’m really excited about that.”

“There were some unique things that correlate to Christianity that I thought were interesting. I was not aware that [they] were part of the Chinese culture,” he said.