MISSISSAUGA, Canada—Mississauga Deputy Mayor John Kovac says he is impressed by Shen Yun Performing Arts every time he attends the show and also notes “seeing the smiles” on people’s faces as they come out after a performance.
“It’s not every day you get to see such classical Chinese artistry on display in this way, in a very formal fashion,” Mr. Kovac said after attending the matinee show at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Ont., on March 14.
“I’m so appreciative” that Shen Yun has been performing in Mississauga for more than 10 years, he said, adding that Mississauga is Shen Yun’s “home as much as it’s my home.”
“It’s just been great for the residents that I represent. … They have this opportunity to be uplifted and educated, and enthralled by the beauty that has been on display,” Mr. Kovac said.
“The choreography is impressive and there are always little changes that are made each year,” Mr. Kovac said of Shen Yun’s performances. Each time he comes to see the show, he notices parts that are new and different, and that is one of the reasons “you would want to come out each and every year” to see it, he said.
“The beauty of the dance, the music, …. the crowd is always full here. That is so impressive,” Mr. Kovac said, adding that the last pieces in particular left him feeling “mesmerized.”
The last pieces included dance stories and a song that highlighted the ancient Chinese people’s reverence for the divine and their faith in the power of goodness and compassion.
“There’s definitely a spiritual aspect to that,” he said.
Mr. Kovac also noted that it’s “vitally important” to preserve ancient and traditional culture, to “recognize what has come before, to never forget it, and ... to highlight it, bring it to the surface.”
Mr. Kovac said seeing Shen Yun allowed him to reflect on how “there’s only so much time in the day, but it’s really better served being with loved ones, praying, meditating, being in peace,” especially today when technology plays such a big role in many people’s lives.
“You can find great happiness through the more modest, simple pleasures in life [like] what Shen Yun brings,” he said.
“It just fills you with happiness and gratitude,” Mr. Kovac said of the Shen Yun performance.
“This sounds somewhat cliché, but it’s really true. All you got to do is set up the cameras and let them roll as people come out of a Shen Yun Performing Arts event, and you just see the eyes are bright, they’re wide-eyed, and people are smiling,” he said.
He noted that the show also has “quite a bit of humour embedded within each program, as much as there is … polish, the professionalism, and the beauty of each and every kind.”
Ahead of Shen Yun’s return to Mississauga this year, Mr. Kovac sent greetings to the performing arts company, relaying congratulations on the company’s 20th anniversary and its return to Canada as part of its 2026 global tour.
“Shen Yun’s dedication to reviving China’s 5,000 years of traditional culture and sharing universal values such as compassion, courage, loyalty, and freedom is truly commendable,” he wrote in the greetings letter.
“Your performances offer audiences a remarkable opportunity to experience classical Chinese dance and music while celebrating cultural diversity and artistic excellence.”
