CHARLOTTE, N.C.—At a glance, Shen Yun Performing Arts might seem like a dance company from China, but it became clear to North Carolinian theatergoers this Sunday afternoon that these artists are anything but communist.

The dancers of Shen Yun, who are based in New York and have been touring the globe for 20 years, express “China before communism” through classical Chinese dance onstage. Today, audience members like Larry and Teresa Osborne, who are missionaries, learned that Shen Yun’s artists are on a mission of their own.

The company’s website states that they strive to revive a culture that was “almost lost” in the destructive throes of China’s cultural revolution. They use a traditional dance style and retell legends from the wisdom of “China before communism,” which members of the audience said still feels relevant in today’s world.

“It’s amazing to me. The choreography and the dance and the costumes, all together, they just blend seamlessly,” Mr. Osborne told The Epoch Times in the Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center after the performance. “I love the storytelling.”

The message Mrs. Osborne took away from Shen Yun was that “there’s always hope,” she said.

The theme of the heavenly Creator arises in Shen Yun because it celebrates spirituality, which lay at the core of traditional Chinese culture—a culture that venerated the divine in ancient times but was targeted for destruction during the Communist Cultural Revolution. Many scenes in the performance depict heavenly beings like a Creator and various deities playing active roles in people’s lives, rewarding goodness and punishing evil.

Some scenes even depicted the sad reality of religious persecution in modern China.

“I kind of teared up when they were sharing that the persecution is still in China,” Mr. Osborne said. “I feel sad for them, but I’m excited to see that they’re sharing about it.”

For audience members like Albert and Aubrey Fang, the ancient Chinese values—such as filial piety, loyalty, and reverence for the divine—rang true. Mr. Fang, who is of Chinese descent, said the morals in Shen Yun were “consistent with how I was raised by my parents.” He added, “It’s beautiful. I haven’t had this much exposure to Chinese culture in a long time, since I was a child. So this is nice.”

One segment showed a character he was familiar with: the Monkey King. Through Shen Yun’s spectrum of visual effects, this legendary Chinese superhero appeared to transform into magical beasts and fly through the theater. The company’s animated 3D backdrops transport characters from the stage into the heavens through a seamless use of state-of-the-art technology.

Mrs. Fang, who received Shen Yun tickets from her husband for her birthday, summed up her experience: “It really brings in all of the emotions,” she said. “It pulls on your heartstrings but there’s moments of laughter and it’s just magical.”