PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Valentine’s Day was the day dance company Shen Yun Performing Arts arrived at the theater in Providence. Couples and non-couples alike watched for over two hours as nimble classical Chinese dancers enacted scenes from ancient mythology to modern-day China onstage.

In a word, “dedication,” he told The Epoch Times. “I admire the performers’ dedication. I admire their athleticism and the artistry.”

Mr. Rollison said his style of Karate, which is Japanese, actually stems from Chinese kung-fu, which implies a similarity with Shen Yun’s dance style.

He practices “Goju-ryu,” he said. “If you go back far enough in history, it’s connected to White Crane Kung Fu, from Kushan Province.”

“Oh my gosh, the colors are amazing,” she said. “It’s exhilarating.”

The costumes of Shen Yun align with the company’s mission: to revive an ancient culture that was “almost lost” under repressive communist rule. Ancient values and beliefs in the divine were denounced. Now, Shen Yun, which is based in upstate New York and is banned from performing in China, hopes to bring back the culture of “China before communism.”

For the costume designers, this means researching the clothes of gods and heavenly beings, as depicted in old manuscripts, for the dancers to wear onstage.

“I love the way that they talk about the heavens and the spirit, and it’s just very moving and colorful, and it’s full of expression,” said Lori Stoudt, a real estate broker. “I think it’s magical and beautiful.”

“It shows the realism of what’s happening in China right now with communism,” Mrs. Stoudt said. “And it’s depicting the need to be free, the expression to be free, and the willingness to express yourself even if that means being hurt or killed.”

It’s also “paying homage to the traditions of and the history of their culture, with the music and the dance and the spirituality of it,” said Mrs. Stoudt’s husband, Hank, a retired real estate broker. “They’re just doing a great job.”

Weaving together many elements—the colorful costumes, the message, the culture, and spirituality—Shen Yun still has more to offer. A full symphony orchestra plays seamlessly with the onstage stories, incorporating Western and Chinese instruments. A state-of-the-art, 3D digital backdrop whisks audiences into mythical landscapes and ancient palaces.

The Loewes, another couple who saw the show this afternoon, tried to sum up the full Shen Yun experience.

It’s a “marriage between the colors, the costumes, and their expressions on their faces” that portrays “a different way of life than we’re used to,” financial analyst Edwin Loewe said. “It’s so unique.”

Mr. Loewe’s wife, Kathy Loewe, a dental hygienist, loved the artistry. “They’re incredibly talented dancers,” she said. “The costumes are beautiful.”