Latest news with #ShenYunPerformingArts
CTV News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Shen Yun dance performance dropped from Place des Arts schedule for 2026
Place des Arts says Shen Yun won't return in 2026, citing an internal business decision and recent concerns about the show's producer. (Credit: Places des Arts) The controversial Shen Yun dance show will not return to Place des Arts next year. In a statement, Géraldine Zaccardelli, spokesperson for the performing arts complex, said producers were informed that no rental option would be confirmed for 2026 due to an internal business decision. 'As a result, Shen Yun was not scheduled as part of our programming and therefore was not cancelled,' Zaccardelli said. The annual show, which highlights ancient China before the arrival of communism, had been featured at Place des Arts since 2007. The show is produced by Shen Yun Performing Arts, a non-profit organization based in New York and established in 2006. Shen Yun performances are banned in China. The dance company is closely associated with Falun Gong, a spiritual movement founded in the early 1990s. China banned the movement in 1999 and classified it as a cult. According to the company, many of Shen Yun's artists practise Falun Gong. Last year, The New York Times published articles criticizing Shen Yun's treatment of artists and reporting that the organization had received tens of millions of dollars in ways that may have crossed legal or ethical lines. 'Place des Arts cannot ignore the events that have occurred and been made public regarding the producer of this show, but it was a combination of factors that led us to terminate this business relationship,' Zaccardelli added. The spokesperson noted that security measures were heightened at Place des Arts during Shen Yun's performances last spring as a preventative measure put in place by the performing arts complex. She said no incidents were reported to Place des Arts.
Epoch Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
A Global Phenomenon Overcoming Adversity
Commentary As many performing arts companies struggle financially in uncertain economic times, Shen Yun Performing Arts has completed its 18th global tour earlier this month, performing what it calls a historic run of 799 shows in 199 cities across 26 countries to an audience of more than 1 million people. Shen Yun not only has to overcome the financial challenges the industry faces, but also faces ongoing sabotage attempts by the communist regime in China. This includes threats directed at theaters, performers, and their families in China and warnings of economic and diplomatic reprisals in locations where Shen Yun performs. Additionally, there are issues with online disinformation and gross misrepresentations by various media outlets. How does a performing arts company presenting traditional Chinese culture today survive and flourish when facing such challenges? Performing Arts in the West In the post-COVID-19 pandemic arts landscape, traditional performing arts productions, such as ballet and classical music, are under increasing pressure to remain financially viable. Australia's largest performing arts companies, Opera Australia and the Australian Ballet, have each posted recent losses, despite receiving significant government grants. The Paris Opera Ballet, the world's oldest national ballet company, receives government subsidies to ensure financial stability. What Sets Shen Yun Apart? Shen Yun is a nonprofit organization established in New York in 2006. Its success is almost entirely funded by ticket sales and limited donations, not government grants or corporate sponsorships. Related Stories 5/11/2025 11/18/2024 It is audience appreciation and support that allows Shen Yun to grow and be successful. More and more people want to experience what Shen Yun presents. A full house at FirstOntario Concert Hall in Hamilton, Ontario, on Dec. 31, 2019. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times Shen Yun's mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture, which has been decimated by the impact of communism in China for more than 70 years, and share these inspirational stories with the world. The traditional values displayed on stage are not an act—performers aim to embody these principles each day. Most artists practice Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, a spiritual and meditation practice with teachings centered on truth, compassion, and forbearance. After being introduced to the Chinese public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong's popularity grew exponentially, reaching at least 70 million by the decade's end, according to official estimates. Fearing that the popularity of Falun Gong would threaten its authoritarian rule, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a brutal persecution campaign to eradicate the practice in July 1999. The persecution continues today, including the killing of practitioners to harvest their organs for the state-run organ transplant industry in military and civilian hospitals. Media, Negativity, and Truth Media outlets that intentionally publish sensational, one-sided articles attacking Shen Yun and Falun Gong ignore the harmful impact on millions of practitioners, including those suffering persecution in China. Psychological research has identified an inherent negativity bias in human beings. It relates to survival mechanisms developed thousands of years ago, where identifying danger or negative threats was essential and could be a matter of life or death. The impact of negativity bias on our decision-making is well understood in the media and politics today. Negative news draws greater attention and can be perceived as believable or truthful. Negative information can lead people to vote against a candidate. If people are not mindful, they can be swayed to accept what is good as something bad or to be avoided. Negative media reporting in the United States is part of Beijing's campaign, In contrast, the Paris Opera Ballet, which has rigorous professional standards similar to Shen Yun, and a modest pay rate (as of 2020) for a full-time entry-level dancer of 2,000 euros per month (around $2,280), does not attract such negative media attention. This distinction lies in its focus on European culture, which isn't seen as a threat by the CCP. CCP's Fear of Shen Yun The CCP knows it does not have the support of the will of the Chinese people. In transforming itself from a 'revolutionary' to a 'ruling' party, it has killed tens of millions in its drive to replace traditional Chinese culture with communist culture. A Chinese paramilitary policeman guards at Tiananmen Square under crimson clouds at sunset after several days of heavy air pollution on July 4, 2013 in Beijing, manic campaign to sabotage Shen Yun displays its deep-seated insecurity: Shen Yun presents an inspiring vision of what China was, and can be, without communism. This dissolves the CCP's illusory claim to represent Chinese civilization, and that 'China' and the party are inseparable. Communism and Secularism Some Western media seem to take their reporting cues from the propaganda used by the CCP to demonize and persecute Falun Gong. There is nothing 'Chinese' about the Communist Party. It has been an invasive form of foreign interference in China since 1921, and, like a pandemic, it has contaminated China and the world with its Marxist–Leninist ideology that declares religions are human creations, denies the possibility of life after death, and the existence of God or a Creator. Over the past 50 years, the importance of religious belief has declined in the West, accompanied by a rise in secular thought. While secularism provides for the reasonable separation of church and state, it can also include philosophical elements that reject religion and align with communist atheist ideology that interpret life solely through a focus on the material world. A focus on materialism and 'self' in the West has led to a sense of isolation from the totality of being human—body, mind, and spirit—and can lead to depression as life may appear random or even meaningless. Chinese traditional culture emphasizes the unity between Heaven and Man and the intrinsic value and spiritual essence of every human being. Shen Yun's Universal Appeal Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis, head of the Greek Orthodox Church of Australia, saw Shen Yun perform in Sydney in February this year and was moved to write to Shen Yun in appreciation. Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis of the Greek Orthodox Church of Australia watched Shen Yun in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 26, 2025. NTD 'Through this rich and most captivating performance, you [Shen Yun] offer a beautiful and spiritual message to the wider society, which is of the utmost importance in our current days,' Archbishop Makarios wrote in the March 3 'This testimony of cultural and spiritual revival is not only paramount for the people of China, but it sends a pertinent message to the whole world. 'It is through the artistic exploration of faith, love, hope, and unity that the audience is able to contemplate such virtues of which the contemporary world seeks not only to deny but to systematically reject.' The message of hope and kindness that Shen Yun brings to the world is a universal blessing; its audiences truly appreciate it, regardless of their political or religious orientation. There is nothing the CCP can do to stop that momentum. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
South Korea Court Rules to Allow Shen Yun Perform After Theater Caved to CCP Pressure
A South Korean court has ruled to allow Shen Yun Performing Arts to continue a planned two-day performance amid Beijing's disruption efforts, handing a win to the group that has, for years, been a target of the regime's global repression efforts. The hosting venue, Kangwon National University, greenlit the New York classical Chinese dance company's application to perform at its Baekryeong Art Center on April 1, only to walk back on the agreement after the Chinese embassy voiced a complaint. The university stated that its decision to cancel the show had to do with the public interests of the school. As the university is a national institution under the country's Ministry of Education, it's in a position to 'directly and indirectly represent the official position of the Republic of Korea,' thereby escalating the matter into a 'diplomatic issue,' stated a letter from the university, obtained by The Epoch Times. The center further said they made the decision out of public interest concerns, citing the roughly 500 Chinese-national students studying at the center who it claimed could stage protests, potentially leading to clashes, should the performance go on as scheduled. The Chuncheon District Court on April 30 sided with the show presenter, describing the university's contract cancellation as an 'abuse of discretionary power.' Shen Yun, the court noted, has Related Stories 4/11/2025 4/18/2025 With no solid evidence backing its claims, the school's stated concerns about potential clashes are vague and difficult to justify, the court said in the judgement, calling the decision 'illegal.' It further noted that the cancellation happened just 20 days ahead of the scheduled performance on May 6 and 7, with nearly two-thirds of the tickets sold. Calling off the performance at this point would make it hard for the show organizers to recover their financial and reputational damage, the judge said. The ruling marks a breakthrough for Shen Yun in South Korea, which has faced Shen Yun tours all over the world—but it cannot perform in China. Founded in 2006 in part by artists who fled Chinese Communist Party (CCP) repression, Shen Yun has grown, over the nearly two past decades, into eight companies of equal size that tour globally with a live orchestra each year. The group showcases classical Chinese dance under the tagline 'China before communism,' with some pieces also featuring stories of the CCP's persecution targeting Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has suffered an extensive persecution campaign in China over the past 26 years. Chinese diplomats and people believed to be linked with them have used political and economic coercion to undermine Shen Yun's global performances. The nonprofit group, Falun Dafa Information Center, has documented over 130 such instances over the years. Recently, the campaign appears to have intensified into a more disturbing form. In just over a year, the arts group has reported Ahead of the second day of Shen Yun's run at the Baekryeong Art Center, Shen Yun's emcee Leeshai Lemish, who has tracked these incidents for years, said he was heartened to see 'a South Korean court upholding the country's law and pushing back against CCP pressure.' 'CCP transnational repression is rampant worldwide but in South Korea, it has an especially long and well-documented history of But the court ruling shows that 'the CCP can only succeed if it can co-opt local governments, courts, and theaters' to follow its command, he added. 'When individuals stand firm and do what they believe is right, as we see now in South Korea, the CCP is powerless to do anything.' He sees it as a 'wonderful sign that Korean people have had enough of Beijing telling them what art they can and cannot watch.' Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company's curtain call at the Gumi Arts Center–Grand Hall in Gumi, South Korea, on Feb. 8, 2023. Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times Lemish recalled a similar incident in 2016 at the Baekryeong Art Center, after canceling the show, apologized and said they weren't acting on their own volition. 'We tried our best, but the school and the Ministry of Education insisted on cancellation, so we had no choice but to cancel,' a staffer had told Shen Yun presenters, according to an email copy The Epoch Times reviewed. Lemish noted how repeatedly, South Korean government-affiliated entities and theaters have acknowledged Beijing's intervention but cited public interests to make the case for giving in to the Chinese communist regime. 'I think what we're seeing now is more and more people in South Korea and around the world realizing that the CCP's interests do not align with theirs at all, and that they need to protect their own rights and freedoms in the face of CCP pressure,' he said. 'I think as a bonus, they also find that they feel good doing that.'
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
South Korea Court Rules to Allow Shen Yun Perform After Theater Caved Into CCP Pressure
A South Korean court has ruled to allow Shen Yun Performing Arts to continue a planned two-day performance amid Beijing's disruption efforts, handing a win to the group that has, for years, been a target of the regime's global repression efforts. The hosting venue, Kangwon National University, greenlit the New York classical Chinese dance company's application to perform at its Baekryeong Art Center on April 1, only to walk back on the agreement after the Chinese embassy voiced a complaint. The university stated that its decision to cancel the show had to do with the public interests of the school. As the university is a national institution under the country's Ministry of Education, it's in a position to 'directly and indirectly represent the official position of the Republic of Korea,' thereby escalating the matter into a 'diplomatic issue,' stated a letter from the university, obtained by The Epoch Times. The center further said they made the decision out of public interest concerns, citing the roughly 500 Chinese-national students studying at the center who it claimed could stage protests, potentially leading to clashes, should the performance go on as scheduled. The Chuncheon District Court on April 30 sided with the show presenter, describing the university's contract cancellation as an 'abuse of discretionary power.' Shen Yun, the court noted, has Related Stories 4/11/2025 4/18/2025 With no solid evidence backing its claims, the school's stated concerns about potential clashes are vague and difficult to justify, the court said in the judgement, calling the decision 'illegal.' It further noted that the cancellation happened just 20 days ahead of the scheduled performance on May 6 and 7, with nearly two thirds of the tickets sold. Calling off the performance at this point would make it hard for the show organizers to recover their financial and reputational damage, the judge said. The ruling marks a breakthrough for Shen Yun in South Korea, which has faced Shen Yun tours all over the world—but it cannot perform in China. Founded in 2006 in part by artists who fled Chinese Communist Party (CCP) repression, Shen Yun has grown, over the nearly two past decades, into eight companies of equal size that tour globally with a live orchestra each year. The group showcases classical Chinese dance under the tagline 'China before communism,' with some pieces also featuring stories of the CCP's persecution targeting Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has suffered an extensive persecution campaign in China over the past 26 years. Chinese diplomats and people believed to be linked with them have used political and economic coercion to undermine Shen Yun's global performances. The nonprofit group, Falun Dafa Information Center, has documented over 130 such instances over the years. Recently, the campaign appears to have intensified into a more disturbing form. In just over a year, the arts group has reported Ahead of the second day of Shen Yun's run at the Baekryeong Art Center, Shen Yun's emcee Leeshai Lemish, who has tracked these incidents for years, said he was heartened to see 'a South Korean court upholding the country's law and pushing back against CCP pressure.' 'CCP transnational repression is rampant worldwide but in South Korea, it has an especially long and well-documented history of But the court ruling shows that 'the CCP can only succeed if it can co-opt local governments, courts, and theaters' to follow its command, he added. 'When individuals stand firm and do what they believe is right, as we see now in South Korea, the CCP is powerless to do anything.' He sees it as a 'wonderful sign that Korean people have had enough of Beijing telling them what art they can and cannot watch.' Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company's curtain call at the Gumi Arts Center–Grand Hall in Gumi, South Korea, on Feb. 8, 2023. Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times Lemish recalled a similar incident in 2016 at the Baekryeong Art Center, after canceling the show, apologized and said they weren't acting on their own volition. 'We tried our best, but the school and the Ministry of Education insisted on cancellation, so we had no choice but to cancel,' a staffer had told Shen Yun presenters, according to an email copy The Epoch Times reviewed. Lemish noted how repeatedly, South Korean government-affiliated entities and theaters have acknowledged Beijing's intervention but cited public interests to make the case for giving into the Chinese communist regime. 'I think what we're seeing now is more and more people in South Korea and around the world realizing that the CCP's interests do not align with theirs at all, and that they need to protect their own rights and freedoms in the face of CCP pressure,' he said. 'I think as a bonus, they also find that they feel good doing that.'
New York Times
18-04-2025
- New York Times
An ‘Army of Child Laborers' Enriches Shen Yun, Ex-Dancers Say in Suit
Two former dancers for Shen Yun Performing Arts, the traditional Chinese dance company, filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing the group of amassing a financial fortune and worldwide renown by subjecting an 'army of child laborers' to brutal working conditions and psychological coercion. The lawsuit by the former dancers, Sun Zan and Cheng Qingling, is at least the second civil action targeting the group and its leaders since The New York Times last year detailed the treatment of performers and financial practices at the arts company, an arm of the Falun Gong religious movement. Federal criminal investigators have also been examining possible visa fraud at Shen Yun, and New York State has been investigating the group's compliance with labor laws. Advertising a glimpse into 'China Before Communism,' Shen Yun performs hundreds of shows a year featuring acrobatic routines by performers in billowy outfits. The group also serves as a messaging platform for Falun Gong, promoting the teachings of its founder, Li Hongzhi, and portraying the Chinese government, which has banned and persecuted his followers, as evil. Shen Yun accumulated $266 million in assets by 2023, the lawsuit says, while performers worked up to 15 hours a day in training and on a 'crushing' tour schedule for little pay. 'The child laborers were paid generally no more than $500 a month — less than the price of a pair of orchestra seats at this year's Lincoln Center performance,' according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Manhattan. Representatives for Shen Yun and Falun Gong said in a statement that the allegations 'are false and present a distorted picture of our organization, our mission, and our faith.' 'We operate with integrity and are committed to upholding the highest artistic and ethical standards,' said the representatives, Ying Chen for Shen Yun and Levi Browde for Falun Gong. They said Shen Yun uses both professional, salaried performers and students following a state-approved curriculum. And they said that a few former performers were spreading a false narrative pushed by the Chinese government while many more performers and their families have defended Shen Yun. Mr. Sun and Ms. Cheng, who married after leaving Shen Yun and now live in New Zealand, were featured in The Times's coverage. Each had parents who were adherents of Mr. Li, who teaches that people can attain enlightenment in part by following his regimen of meditation and exercises and has implied that he created the universe. Mr. Li started Shen Yun in 2006 and expanded it rapidly at Dragon Springs, his movement's 400-acre headquarters located northwest of New York City. The suit describes Mr. Li as 'the mastermind of the entire forced labor scheme,' naming him as a defendant along with his wife, Li Rui, and two schools that Mr. Sun and Ms. Cheng say were used to create the 'pretext' of educating performers. Ms. Chen and Mr. Browde said the schools provide a quality education and their students excel. The lawsuit accuses Shen Yun of forced labor, human trafficking and other violations of the Federal Trafficking Victims Protections Act, seeking damages for physical and psychological injuries. One of the former dancers' lawyers, Carol Merchasin, has specialized in cases involving abuse in religious and spiritual communities. Mr. Sun was sent by his parents across the world to Dragon Springs at 15; Ms. Cheng arrived at 13. Their suit described the high-fenced compound as akin to 'a penal colony,' with performers confined there through psychological and physical control and their passports locked in a safe. Representatives for the groups said holding passports for safekeeping is normal at boarding schools, and they are returned upon request. Performers had a 'dreadful existence' of six-day work weeks full of training and religious practice, the suit says, and just two or three hours of classroom time per day. Instructors allowed Mr. Sun to cheat on exams and sleep in class because of the priority given to training, the suit says. Humiliation and violence were commonplace, the suit says: 'A late-arriving child laborer could expect to have an instructor's shoe strike their head moments after walking in.' They were told such treatment 'was an indication of talent, and so they should be thankful for being beaten.' Leaders instilled fear by shaming rule-breakers at schoolwide assemblies. Around 2011, a school principal berated Ms. Cheng's roommate for looking at pornography when she had actually been reading Japanese comic books known as manga, the lawsuit says. Like other performers, Mr. Sun and Ms. Cheng said they performed through injury and without medical treatment. Mr. Li teaches that only faith can purge the body of illnesses. Mr. Sun suffered internal bleeding when an instructor told other students to force him into a side split; he had to hold that position for 10 minutes a day for three months and has scarring on his legs, the suit says. After Ms. Cheng suffered a training injury that made her left arm go numb, Mr. Li ordered a school principal to meditate with her rather than arranging treatment; she has permanent damage to her shoulder, the suit says.
