SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Director of Education and Research Stands in Solidarity With Shen Yun

Apr 10, 2026

4/10/2026Updated: 4/10/2026

VANCOUVER—Daniel William Szabo, an educator and researcher in political science, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 9, 2026. He had heard about the classical Chinese dance and music extravaganza, and finally came to see it.

“I love it. I think it’s fantastic. I’m here with a colleague of mine, a friend, and I have heard the story of Shen Yun, and I wanted to see the performance,” Mr. Szabo said.

Based in New York, Shen Yun’s performances carry the tagline “China before communism” and its mission is to revive the Middle Kingdom’s 5,000 years of civilization and rich traditional culture.

“I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to show my support, and I’m happy to promote it and speak loudly in solidarity,” Mr. Szabo said.

Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“I love it. The performance is fantastic,” Mr. Szabo said, adding that he really enjoyed the dance titled “How the Monkey King Came to Be.”

Shen Yun uses dance to tell stories from China’s long history. Its dance stories also portray the modern true story of Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted for their faith in China. Falun Dafa is a peaceful practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

After hearing about some of the persecution, Mr. Szabo said he found it unacceptable that people are being treated this way in China.

He was also highly impressed with Shen Yun’s patented animated backdrop. The technology allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.

“The backdrop is fantastic,” he said.

Mr. Szabo is aware of the recent cancellations of Shen Yun performances in Toronto at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts after a fake bomb threat. He believes that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence has no place in Canada.

“I’ve heard about the past cancellations and that kind of trickery that’s going on. I mean, this is Canada, first of all, it doesn’t work here,” he said.

The false bomb threat sent to the Four Seasons Centre by email was from sources that are believed to lead back to the CCP.

“I think it’s unacceptable and to have that type of influence on the culture here in Canada,” Mr. Szabo said.

Although Shen Yun is sharing the beauty of Chinese culture with the world, Shen Yun is unable to perform in China.

“I’m obviously not a fan of the Chinese Communist Party, and I think it’s important that these types of shows continue to be amplified as much as possible—any chance you get,” Mr. Szabo said.

Reporting by Jane Yang and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.