Sold-Out Show in Toronto Caps Shen Yun's 2026 World Tour

Podcaster Tammy Peterson, who has also co-hosted talks with her husband, well-known author and psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson, said Shen Yun imparts a hopeful message and emphasizes the importance of reviving tradition.

"It's a hopeful message for the people of the world," Mrs. Peterson said.

"There is a chance for this to be a rebirth for the country, that would be wonderful. That's a wonderful thing to hope for," she said.

Mrs. Peterson added that Shen Yun can also be an inspiration for the West to guard its traditional heritage.

"It's a good message for our culture too," she said. "It's up to us to teach each other that there is a foundation to our culture that is indispensable if we're going to survive."

Shen Yun was founded in New York in 2006 by leading classical Chinese artists who had fled communist China's oppression, with the goal of reviving traditional Chinese culture. It has faced continuous interference from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including hoax bomb threats aimed at disrupting its performances.

Such was the case with Shen Yun's performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in the spring. After Shen Yun played two shows on March 28, the theatre abruptly cancelled the remaining March 29–April 5 shows after receiving an emailed bomb threat. The theatre maintained its decision despite a police investigation confirming that the threat was not credible.

Vancouver Police said a phone number associated with the email from which the threat was sent was based in China. The same email account was used to send the threat to the Toronto venue.

"It was also like you were in heaven; there were lots of clouds on the stage. It was beautiful," she said.

She said that Dr. Peterson, who is currently undergoing medical treatment, would have enjoyed Shen Yun.

Garry Clement, former national director of the RCMP's Proceeds of Crime program, said he really enjoyed seeing pre-communist China's "rich culture" through Shen Yun.

Mr. Clement, who has investigated the CCP's interference in Canada extensively, said it's "fantastic" that Shen Yun can be performed in free countries like Canada, and said he hopes this sends a message to the CCP against its terror campaign of transnational repression.

He said the CCP is a "master of disguise" and that Beijing has infiltrated Canada and the United States, adding that Shen Yun can help counter the regime's meddling.

"We need events like this to really put across the true messaging," he said.

He also praised the performers' artistic ability.

"The athleticism, the grace, and what they're able to put across, I think, is just fantastic," he said.

He said he wishes more of his law enforcement colleagues would come to see Shen Yun.

"I've said for a long time: the biggest problem, I think, with law enforcement in this country [is that] a lot of police officers do not understand the Chinese culture," he said.

"I certainly made ... the situation very apparent to those in Ottawa and throughout the country, that what the Chinese Communist Party has done to stop the performances with the bomb threats and to stop this great cultural event from being seen by so many other Torontonians," he said.

"I'm glad that we were able to bring it back."

Mr. Baxendale, who has seen Shen Yun several times in the past, said its choreography and music are superb, and praised both its beauty and its presentation of “China before communism.”

"This is a great ... confluence of both the culture, the music, the choreography, the costumes, the colour, and then the use of modern animation to bring forward this story, It makes it very interactive for the audience as well," he said.

"It's great from the opening. As soon as the curtain goes up, it's beautiful, and I loved every second of it," he said.

"I love how the backdrop is more than just a backdrop. It's universal. People are coming in and out of it. ... All along, it's fantastic."