ATLANTA—As a former TV art director for an advertising firm, Steve Newton saw the magical landscapes in the ads for Shen Yun Performing Arts and assumed they were just embellishments.

For Mr. Newton, watching Shen Yun at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre was a pinch-me moment; the dancers seemed to launch themselves into the backdrop, then back onto the stage through clever integration.

It “really catches you off guard when they float down and boom,” Mr. Newton said. “Just the coordination and stuff is amazing.”

Julie Bethel, who watched Shen Yun with Mr. Newton, added, “Oh, that was wild, because it was hard to tell where the digital started and where the people were real.”

It also teaches ancient morals.

“Be kind,” Mr. Newton said, speaking of a message he took from the performance. “Just be kind and be kind to everyone around you.”

“They spread kindness,” said Viktoria Dimitriva, an operations manager for a technology company on Feb. 1. “We come back every year, because we really enjoy it.”

For over a decade, Shen Yun has performed in Atlanta, making the show a cherished annual tradition for theatergoers like Ms. Dimitriva.

“I love the whole performance in general. We came first time a few years ago,” she said, adding, “We enjoy the music. ... Every year they show something different.”

“Everything’s so smooth, so you take it for granted that music is playing the whole time,” said Dennis Solari, a senior vice president for an IT company.

“They make it look very simple, but it’s very smooth,” he said. “We know it’s very hard to do.”