TORONTO, Canada—As a publisher, Dean Baxendale has published several books on China and its ruling communist regime. He was delighted when he first saw last year’s Shen Yun Performing Arts performance. He returned to see Shen Yun—which puts on an all-new production each year—this year at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on April 7.

He said that the performance was visually stunning.

“I think it’s absolutely beautiful,” said Ms. Kheiriddin.

Mr. Baxendale was happy to see the Tibetan dance, as he had just returned from a visit to the Himalayas the week before.

“It is, I think, [a] representation of what so many people don’t know here, but what happens behind the scenes, and it’s something that has to be told so that people are aware and call out the government to call on them to stop. If the world doesn’t stand up for human rights, they won’t have any,” said Ms. Kheiriddin.

“I often think when people are touched by art, they can feel the emotions behind the facts of the stories. And I think that’s what you see here. I think the audience was very moved by it,” she said.

Ms. Kheiriddin said she was moved to tears in a scene portraying the situation in China today.

“I think it has to be shown, and this way, it touches people. It makes them really understand it, feel it inside,” Ms. Kheiriddin said.

“I think it’s very important to understand because people have one vision of China ... but there’s so much culture and history that came before, and to see that come alive makes it very real and makes it living,” she said.

“It’s also so beautiful to see that rich history is still alive; it’s very special. And I think it’s wonderful. You don’t see it anywhere else.”