NEWARK, N.J.—Music teacher Joseph Lilore attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ second show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on April 30, and found the matinee far exceeded his expectations.

“The dancing, of course. The music: they didn’t use pre-recorded music. It was a live orchestra; it was perfect,” Mr. Lilore said.

“Everything— the timing, the intonation—musically it was perfect. The graphics, I didn’t expect to be this great.”

Shen Yun’s live orchestra blends classical Western orchestration with traditional Chinese melodies and instruments, such as the two-stringed erhu and ancient pipa, offering the audience the best of both worlds.

“The composer, the conductor, [they] blended it beautifully. You could hear the Chinese [characteristics,] you could hear the scales and everything,” Mr. Lilore said.

“His arrangements, his orchestration—the way it’s all combined, the way the music, and the dance, and the visuals—is amazing. …The orchestration is sometimes the hardest part. Beautiful. He’s a genius.”

Founded by elite Chinese artists who fled persecution, the New York-based Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving the beauty and virtues of pre-communist China. Its performance takes the audience through China’s dynasties and legends, while also raising awareness for the ongoing human rights challenges in present-day China.

Also attending the performance was retired minister Irene Alton, who had hoped to see Shen Yun for the past seven years and was delighted to finally have the opportunity.

“It was exhilarating. I had such a wonderful time, and I will probably come back again because I understand [it’s different each year,]” she said. “It just blew my mind. It was really good.”

As a minister, she especially appreciated the artists’ portrayal of the divine and the spiritual dimension of traditional Chinese culture. Her biggest takeaway was the joy and beauty of life.

“It spoke to me about the joy of life in itself,” she said. “It was just joyous, that’s what I felt.”

Since its establishment in 2006, Shen Yun has earned widespread acclaim. Each year, the artists present a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions, ensuring that both new and returning audience members are always in for a surprise.

“It was heartwarming, I was overwhelmed with the colors,” Ms. Alton added. “It was just awesome, you couldn’t take your eye off of it; it kept us just totally entertained [and] drawn in. I'll be back.”