‘I’m Glad I’m Here’: Shen Yun Performing Arts Delights in Vancouver After Shows Shuttered in Toronto

Apr 14, 2026Shen Yun

VANCOUVER, Canada—He had heard the controversy of how a bomb threat led to the cancellation of a dance performance this month at a theater in Toronto. But on Saturday, Daniel William Szabo, a political science professor, finally got to watch Shen Yun Performing Arts with his own eyes in Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

The New York-based dance company has long been monitored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as it tours the globe, presenting "China before communism," celebrating the richness and depth of 5,000 years of Chinese culture from before the regime's cultural revolution attacked tradition in the 1960s. And Mr. Szabo felt it was worth watching.

"I have heard the story of Shen Yun, and I wanted to see the performance," Mr. Szabo told The Epoch Times in the theater during the intermission. "After hearing some of the persecution and also some of the cancellations of the shows in Toronto in the past, I think it's unacceptable. And to have that type of influence on the culture here in Canada is unacceptable."

He spoke of sheer enjoyment watching Shen Yun, saying, "I love it," and he found the famous Chinese superhero, the Monkey King, particularly entertaining. Shen Yun retells ancient myths with its awe-inspiring visual effects and dozens of dancers in exquisite costumes. The vivid colors, live orchestra, and grand choreography uplift the heart, while ancient morals inspire modern minds to the power in simple things—the things we often forget nowadays, like being kind and helping each other.

"The performance is fantastic," Mr. Szabo said. "I'm learning more and more about it and I think it's uplifting. I'm glad I'm here and I'm happy that I'm seeing it."

Shen Yun, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, is forbidden from performing in mainland China though it has been welcomed in Taiwan, the Americas, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere in Asia, besides China. The show highlights spirituality—one of the main targets to fall on the chopping block of communism—while its artists denounce atheism. One dance segment features modern China and scenes of persecution of people of faith. Many of the company members practice Falun Dafa, a banned faith in communist China that teaches truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

Mr. Szabo said shows like Shen Yun are "crucial" to the world we live in today and "there needs to be more" like this one. "I'm obviously not a fan of the Chinese Communist Party," he added. "I think it's important that these types of shows continue to be amplified as much as possible."

Learning About China

Unlike Mr. Szabo, however, Leon Viger, an architect in Vancouver who watched the same performance on Saturday, hadn't heard about the bomb threat at the theater in Toronto. In the end, the cancellation of 10,000 tickets was because of what Toronto Police deemed a hoax, but that didn't stop the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Toronto from shuttering multiple Shen Yun performances for the first time.

Mr. Viger said that doesn't sound like Canada and called the cancellation "sad."

Leon Viger attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, Canada, on April 11, 2026. (Jane Yang/The Epoch Times) — Leon Viger attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver, Canada, on April 11, 2026. Jane Yang/The Epoch Times

In Canada "you're able to express your opinion," he added. "And if people don't like it, well, as long as you're not hurting somebody else or being rude or threatening somebody else, you can say what you want."The architect mentioned he was seeing Shen Yun because more and more Canadians are reaching out to China these days; it's good to know who you're dealing with, and culture can educate you. He is wary because "you don't want to allow people to be hurt" in the process of dealing with countries like China.

All the same, he found the dancers of Shen Yun "vibrant" and the pageantry "very spectacular."

And as an architect, Mr. Viger was captivated watching scenes on Shen Yun's patented animated backdrop unfold, which transported theatergoers to ancient Chinese palaces with structures magnificent enough to make his knees wobble. "It's the architecture from back," he said. "The joinery and stuff is pretty fascinating."

Reporting by Jane Yang and Michael Wing.

From The Epoch Times

NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, covering audience reactions since 2006.