MISSISSAUGA, Canada—On a snowy Saturday afternoon, theatergoers took cover to watch the curtain rise on a company of classical Chinese dancers conjuring magic scenes from ancient China.
Dozens of artists from the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts opened with the Chinese myth of creation, the Creator himself appearing before an entourage of deities, following him to Earth to mark the start of China’s 5,000-year history, with the program tracing their journey through time to the modern day.
In the audience, Mississauga City Councilor Brad Butt soaked in the spectacle with intrigue at the Living Arts Centre. “It’s a great history lesson,“ Butt told The Epoch Times in the theater during the intermission. ”We all need magic in our lives. And hope, and love, and compassion, and all of that, which are important in all of our cultures, not just Chinese, but Canadian culture.”
Now 20 years old, Shen Yun has launched itself on a mission to revive the ancient culture that was “almost lost” during China’s devastating Cultural Revolution since the 1960s. By showcasing time-honored legends, ethnic dances, and even modern events, it educates global art lovers and aims to inspire a rebirth. Shen Yun is adept at making very old values feel appealingly fresh and relatable today.
“I would hope more young people would come and look at the talent of these performers here. I mean, it’s just outstanding,” Butt said. “Their athleticism, as well as their ability to just embrace the culture and the dance and the other moves that they perform is absolutely outstanding.”
Laureen Schumann attends Shen Yun with her husband, Ralph, at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga on March 14, 2026. Xinxin Teng/The Epoch Times
Some of the most talked-about segments this year include Water Sleeves, whose heavenly ladies seem to float on air across the stage, and the energetic Mongolian ethnic dance segment. And many theatergoers have raved about the appearance of the famed Chinese superhero, the Monkey King. Each segment is a unique gem.
“Oh, it’s beautiful! The colors are really amazing,” said Laureen Schumann, a retired massage therapist, who added that the dancers looked “as light as a feather,” and that “every time the curtain’s going to open, you wonder what you’re going to see.”
The artists behind the scenes of Shen Yun pored through ancient manuscripts to uncover the attire of divine beings to craft costumes. Their mission of revival led them to produce motifs like the dragon, phoenix, cloud, and peacock—the last of which featured in its own segment this year.
And we haven’t yet mentioned Shen Yun’s live Orchestra. A full complement of classical musicians amplifies the action onstage with a unique sound, blending together Western and Eastern instruments. Tenors also resound in between some of the dance segments.
“I really liked that song that the tenor sang. I thought it was really amazing words,” Schumann said. “I agree with all the words. I think it was wonderful.”
Some messages in the lyrics of Shen Yun are unabashedly spiritual. The company places the divine on a pedestal in its shows, despite the fact that mainland China is an officially atheist state under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Religion was integral to the culture that the artists want to revive. That’s one reason why Shen Yun is banned from performing in China.
Mary Lippa attends Shen Yun at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga on March 14, 2026. Xinxin Teng/The Epoch Times
“The music hits you right in the heart,” said Stephanie Mary Lippa, an elder home personal support worker who saw the same show Saturday. “The dancing is so world-class. The backgrounds are just spectacular. The orchestra is, again, epic!”
She also noted a segment from modern China where religious persecution still takes place. A classical Chinese dancer plays a boy who follows the belief system of Falun Dafa, also banned in China, and for his faith, he is abused and blinded by CCP officials.
“The tears that started flowing is when they did the scene about the persecution,” Lippa said.
Over the past fifteen years of touring in Mississauga, Shen Yun has become a cherished tradition for some theatergoers. For Lippa, this was her first time, she said. But it won’t be her last Shen Yun performance.
“I will definitely attend every single year from now,” she said. “I am so happy for everybody that put this show together, that they can bring this to the Western world. We really need this.”
