How a performing arts organization rescued a culture and became the fastest-growing dance company in American history.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>","body":"
How a performing arts organization rescued a culture and became the fastest-growing dance company in American history<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/p>\r\n\r\n December 7, 2025<\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun Performing Arts, the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a historic global tour. <\/p> This season, Shen Yun:<\/p> “This milestone reflects the dedication of hundreds of artists,” said Shen Yun Vice President and Conductor Ying Chen<\/a>. “Our remarkable performers haven’t just put on a world class show—they’re carrying forward a cultural heritage and a set of values that they cherish deeply. They are among the best in the world, and their commitment is the reason we can celebrate twenty years today.”<\/p> “This anniversary also demonstrates that the elite artistry and hopeful message of our performances, which reconnects people with wholesome traditions, resonates deeply with audiences around the world,” Ms. Chen added. “With no government or corporate backing, our remarkable growth is fueled by the fact that, each year, more and more people are flocking to theaters to experience Shen Yun.”<\/p> Established in New York’s Hudson Valley in 2006, Shen Yun is marking two decades of extraordinary artistic achievement. Show after show, the company continues its mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, breathing life into a civilization that had been brought to the brink of extinction by communism.<\/p>\r\n\r\n From humble beginnings as a group of volunteers, many of whom escaped persecution in China, Shen Yun quickly professionalized and grew from one to eight equally large touring troupes.<\/p> \r\n\r\n Along with its hallmark classical Chinese dance, Shen Yun is home to the world’s first orchestra to combine classical Western and Chinese instruments as permanent members. In what critics called an innovation in the world of performing arts, Shen Yun also patented interactive animated backdrops that extend the stage and instantly transport the audience to another world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun has become a must-see show, and the fastest-growing performing arts company in American history.<\/p> \r\n\r\n “Shen Yun lets the world see a China that the communist regime tried to destroy,” said Principal Dancer Piotr Huang<\/a>. “We began with a simple aspiration: to speak out about persecution and to share a culture that was nearly lost. Today, Shen Yun has become a cultural phenomenon that touches people from every walk of life.”<\/p> “As a dancer, Shen Yun has given me and my colleagues an environment to reach the peaks of our artistic potential,” said Huang. “If we were in China, we would face imprisonment. Here we have the opportunity to thrive.”<\/p> It hasn’t been easy. The organization’s founders and performers were people who practiced Falun Dafa, the Buddhist-based spiritual meditation discipline brutally persecuted in China. They were driven by a sense of urgency—innocent people just like them being killed every day. As Western media largely turned a blind eye to the atrocities, these artists were willing to go the extra mile.<\/p> \r\n\r\n They decided that not only would they celebrate the glory of ancient Chinese civilization, but also, as part of each performance, portray present reality in China and the courage of people of faith there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Because of this daring portrayal, Shen Yun has incurred the wrath of the Chinese communist state. Through its embassies and consulates, networks of spies and secret agents, economic threats, and propaganda disinformation, the regime came after Shen Yun in full force<\/a>. The performing arts company has endured slashed tires, break ins, and death threats—all on American soil. Meanwhile, performers’ family members in China have been harassed and even imprisoned.<\/p> \r\n\r\n But through it all, Shen Yun has thrived, driven by faith and a sense of purpose. Now, after 20 years, Shen Yun is the world’s gold standard for classical Chinese dance and has fully earned a reputation for artistic ingenuity, integrity, and resilience.<\/p> Fun fact: The 20th anniversary is traditionally called “the china anniversary.”<\/em><\/p> MEDIA CONTACT<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n For media inquiries, please write to: \r\ncontact@shenyunperformingarts.org.<\/p> <\/p>\r\n\r\n ABOUT SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun is a nonprofit organization established in New York by elite Chinese artists, many of whom fled persecution. With the mission of reviving traditional Chinese culture, Shen Yun has become the world’s foremost classical Chinese dance and music company, performing all-new programs globally every year.<\/p> \r\n\r\n The 2026 production includes breathtaking new dances, never-before-seen stories, original scores, hundreds of dazzling costumes, and Shen Yun’s patented animated backdrops. Learn more at: ShenYunPerformingArts.org<\/a>.<\/p>","tag":"","imageId":"22588","imageIdFeatured":"22588","videoLink":"","videoId":"0","contentRelated":"0","imageSquareId":"22590","showOnNewsPage":"1"},"ext":{"id":"427","contentId":"52767","featured":"1","location":"","introduction":" How a performing arts organization rescued a culture and became the fastest-growing dance company in American history.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p>","body":" How a performing arts organization rescued a culture and became the fastest-growing dance company in American history<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/p>\r\n\r\n December 7, 2025<\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun Performing Arts, the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a historic global tour. <\/p> This season, Shen Yun:<\/p> “This milestone reflects the dedication of hundreds of artists,” said Shen Yun Vice President and Conductor Ying Chen<\/a>. “Our remarkable performers haven’t just put on a world class show—they’re carrying forward a cultural heritage and a set of values that they cherish deeply. They are among the best in the world, and their commitment is the reason we can celebrate twenty years today.”<\/p> “This anniversary also demonstrates that the elite artistry and hopeful message of our performances, which reconnects people with wholesome traditions, resonates deeply with audiences around the world,” Ms. Chen added. “With no government or corporate backing, our remarkable growth is fueled by the fact that, each year, more and more people are flocking to theaters to experience Shen Yun.”<\/p> Established in New York’s Hudson Valley in 2006, Shen Yun is marking two decades of extraordinary artistic achievement. Show after show, the company continues its mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, breathing life into a civilization that had been brought to the brink of extinction by communism.<\/p>\r\n\r\n From humble beginnings as a group of volunteers, many of whom escaped persecution in China, Shen Yun quickly professionalized and grew from one to eight equally large touring troupes.<\/p> \r\n\r\n Along with its hallmark classical Chinese dance, Shen Yun is home to the world’s first orchestra to combine classical Western and Chinese instruments as permanent members. In what critics called an innovation in the world of performing arts, Shen Yun also patented interactive animated backdrops that extend the stage and instantly transport the audience to another world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun has become a must-see show, and the fastest-growing performing arts company in American history.<\/p> \r\n\r\n “Shen Yun lets the world see a China that the communist regime tried to destroy,” said Principal Dancer Piotr Huang<\/a>. “We began with a simple aspiration: to speak out about persecution and to share a culture that was nearly lost. Today, Shen Yun has become a cultural phenomenon that touches people from every walk of life.”<\/p> “As a dancer, Shen Yun has given me and my colleagues an environment to reach the peaks of our artistic potential,” said Huang. “If we were in China, we would face imprisonment. Here we have the opportunity to thrive.”<\/p> It hasn’t been easy. The organization’s founders and performers were people who practiced Falun Dafa, the Buddhist-based spiritual meditation discipline brutally persecuted in China. They were driven by a sense of urgency—innocent people just like them being killed every day. As Western media largely turned a blind eye to the atrocities, these artists were willing to go the extra mile.<\/p> \r\n\r\n They decided that not only would they celebrate the glory of ancient Chinese civilization, but also, as part of each performance, portray present reality in China and the courage of people of faith there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Because of this daring portrayal, Shen Yun has incurred the wrath of the Chinese communist state. Through its embassies and consulates, networks of spies and secret agents, economic threats, and propaganda disinformation, the regime came after Shen Yun in full force<\/a>. The performing arts company has endured slashed tires, break ins, and death threats—all on American soil. Meanwhile, performers’ family members in China have been harassed and even imprisoned.<\/p> \r\n\r\n But through it all, Shen Yun has thrived, driven by faith and a sense of purpose. Now, after 20 years, Shen Yun is the world’s gold standard for classical Chinese dance and has fully earned a reputation for artistic ingenuity, integrity, and resilience.<\/p> Fun fact: The 20th anniversary is traditionally called “the china anniversary.”<\/em><\/p> MEDIA CONTACT<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n For media inquiries, please write to: \r\ncontact@shenyunperformingarts.org.<\/p> <\/p>\r\n\r\n ABOUT SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun is a nonprofit organization established in New York by elite Chinese artists, many of whom fled persecution. With the mission of reviving traditional Chinese culture, Shen Yun has become the world’s foremost classical Chinese dance and music company, performing all-new programs globally every year.<\/p> \r\n\r\n The 2026 production includes breathtaking new dances, never-before-seen stories, original scores, hundreds of dazzling costumes, and Shen Yun’s patented animated backdrops. Learn more at: ShenYunPerformingArts.org<\/a>.<\/p>","tag":"","imageId":"22588","imageIdFeatured":"22588","videoLink":"","videoId":"0","contentRelated":"0","imageSquareId":{"fileId":"22590","fileName":"SY26-square.jpg","title":"SY26 Square","alt":"SY26 Square","timeCreated":"2025-12-12 16:41:15","mimeType":"image\/jpeg","original":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/original\/2025\/12\/12\/cadc87ddebe5c65eba0316c443a289d7.jpg","thumb":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/thumb\/2025\/12\/12\/cadc87ddebe5c65eba0316c443a289d7.jpg","small":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/small\/2025\/12\/12\/cadc87ddebe5c65eba0316c443a289d7.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/medium\/2025\/12\/12\/cadc87ddebe5c65eba0316c443a289d7.jpg","big":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/big\/2025\/12\/12\/cadc87ddebe5c65eba0316c443a289d7.jpg"},"showOnNewsPage":"1","imageDataDisplay":{"fileId":"22588","fileName":"SY2026-artwork-header-400x246ratio.jpg","title":"SY2026 Artwork Header 400x246ratio","alt":"SY2026 Artwork Header 400x246ratio","timeCreated":"2025-12-08 23:27:04","mimeType":"image\/jpeg","original":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/original\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","thumb":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/thumb\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","small":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/small\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/medium\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","big":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/big\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg"},"imageFeatured":{"fileId":"22588","fileName":"SY2026-artwork-header-400x246ratio.jpg","title":"SY2026 Artwork Header 400x246ratio","alt":"SY2026 Artwork Header 400x246ratio","timeCreated":"2025-12-08 23:27:04","mimeType":"image\/jpeg","original":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/original\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","thumb":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/thumb\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","small":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/small\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/medium\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg","big":"https:\/\/www.shenyunperformingarts.org\/data\/image\/big\/2025\/12\/08\/458ca694c137a9a2ec0243d645e2b5fc.jpg"}},"eId":"4fephBzr_Yw","eid":"4fephBzr_Yw","sectionEId":"Shwh9715MMc","contentTypeEId":"iSYtvU7zjYM","timeDisplay":"December 7, 2025","seoUrl":"_4fephBzr_Yw\/20-anniversary-world-tour.html","url":"\/news\/view\/article\/e\/4fephBzr_Yw\/20-anniversary-world-tour.html","contentTypeNameDisplay":"Press Release"},{"id":"52920","idText":"","urlFriendlyName":"media-gets-wrong-about-shen-yun","parentId":"0","userId":"36","sectionId":"27","contentTypeId":"34","langId":"1","timeCreated":"2026-02-08 17:27:54","timePublished":"2026-02-28 16:07:44","timePublishedDisplay":"0","timeUpdated":"2026-03-07 10:28:24","orderByTime":"2026-02-28 16:07:44","ip":"72.43.130.26","title":"9 Things Some Media Reports Get Wrong About Shen Yun","lastRevisionId":"0","protectMode":"1","password":"","passwordHint":"","commentNum":"0","ratingNum":"0","ratingAvg":"0","adminRefTime":null,"recommend":"0","sourceType":null,"commentEnable":"0","commentDisplay":"0","commentNeedApproval":"1","showOnWhatsnewAllPost":"0","status":"1","metaDescription":"Alongside many fair articles, some recent news pieces about Shen Yun have repeated a nearly identical sensationalist formula. They recycle long-debunked narratives and follow the disinformation playbook of the CCP, the world\u2019s most sophisticated propaganda machine.","metaKeywords":"","metaTitle":"9 Things Some Media Reports Get Wrong About Shen Yun","userModified":"46","notes":"","contentTypeName":"pressRelease","totalCount":"2521","username":"vivians","userUpdated":"jingx","sectionName":"(English) Press Releases","extra":{"id":"443","contentId":"52920","featured":"1","location":"","introduction":" Alongside many fair articles and thousands of glowing reviews<\/a> from audience members speaking on camera, some recent news pieces about Shen Yun have repeated a nearly identical sensationalist formula. They recycle long-debunked narratives and, knowingly or not, follow the disinformation playbook of the world’s most sophisticated propaganda machine.<\/p>","body":" March 01, 2026<\/p> Alongside many fair articles and thousands of glowing reviews<\/a> from audience members speaking on camera, some recent news pieces about Shen Yun have repeated a nearly identical sensationalist formula. They recycle long-debunked narratives and, knowingly or not, follow the disinformation playbook of the world’s most sophisticated propaganda machine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n What unites us at Shen Yun is the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa, the Buddhist-based meditation discipline that originated in China. For 26 years, Falun Dafa practitioners have been subjected to a brutal persecution campaign at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Our family and friends have been imprisoned, tortured, and murdered. <\/p>\r\n\r\n In response to the urgency of the persecution we stepped forward to call attention to it and to show what Chinese civilization looked like without communism. That is why Shen Yun exists—and why the CCP fears it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Over the last few years, the CCP has escalated its attempts to discredit us. Unfortunately, in covering Shen Yun, some mainstream news pieces and social media videos have been echoing both Beijing-based disinformation and each other. <\/p>\r\n\r\n In an effort to set the record straight and provide journalists and influencers with the full picture, here are nine things media have been consistently getting wrong:<\/p>\r\n\r\n Some media reports elevate a handful of former performers whose accounts contradict the statements of hundreds of current and former members who describe overwhelmingly positive experiences with Shen Yun. Read a petition<\/a> from 766 current and former performers calling the allegations against Shen Yun “gross distortions and false narratives about our work, our faith, and our way of life.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n After leaving Shen Yun, several accusers later developed ties to Beijing Dance Academy<\/a>, a CCP-run institution, and their narratives then changed dramatically. What is their motivation for seeking media attention and lawsuits now, a decade after leaving the company? Furthermore, elite dance training practices are mischaracterized as “abusive,” when, in fact, they are common across most professional dance disciplines.<\/p>\r\n\r\n a. The denial of medical treatment claim.<\/em> This is blatantly false—performers receive standard medical treatment<\/strong>, including MRIs, surgeries, physical therapy, and ongoing care from partnered medical providers who are on campus regularly. What company wouldn’t want its dancers to be healthy? More on this.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n b. The child labor claim.<\/em> Over 85% of Shen Yun’s touring members are adults.<\/strong> Students under 18 perform with Shen Yun as part of a practicum program at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts. The practicum is part of a curriculum approved by the New York State Department of Education. This is an essential and indispensable immersive training opportunity for students aspiring to become top classical Chinese dancers or musicians. More on this.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n c. The coercion claim.<\/em> The reality is that performers freely audition, enroll voluntarily, and are free to leave at any time.<\/strong> For many, performing in Shen Yun is a lifelong dream. Sure, every year a small number leave for other endeavors. Some, including one accuser often quoted in media, actually tried to return to Shen Yun even after leaving. The growth and success of the company wouldn’t be possible if perfor mers weren’t happy to be here. Hear directly from students and performers.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun was created in response to a brutal religious persecution affecting tens of millions in China. These ongoing atrocities are not “alleged”—they are documented by the US State Department, Amnesty International, Freedom House, the EU, and others. Among our performers are people who were prisoners of conscience in China or lost parents to torture in Chinese prisons. <\/p>\r\n Learn why the persecution is happening in China today<\/a>. Over the past three years, the CCP has dramatically escalated its disinformation efforts against Shen Yun. Beijing has paid influencers, planted media stories, used online bots, and instigated frivolous lawsuits. We have also experienced death and bomb threats, break-ins, vandalism, and espionage—all part of the CCP’s well-documented transnational repression in the US. <\/p> Read about leaked documents from China that outline the disinformation campaign.<\/a><\/p> <\/a>Video: Why is Beijing Trying to Silence American Artists?<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n The essence of our Falun Dafa faith is self-improvement by living with honesty, kindness, and resilience. Rather than showing who Falun Dafa practitioners really are—ordinary people who meditate, work, raise families, and live normal lives—media sometimes echo the CCP’s “cult” framing by cherry-picking anecdotes and emphasizing supposed abnormality. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Some Western media have done this for over two decades, and the result is that our free press amplifies the CCP’s narrative that dehumanizes us. These portrayals are then often circulated in China and used to justify further persecution of our fellow believers. Irresponsible journalism has real human consequences.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Example of the New York Times bias in reporting on Falun Gong<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> Production choices—ominous music, gloomy visuals, loaded language like “compound,” and staged emotional pressure—are used to elicit sympathy for accusers while portraying performers as strange. We understand why this happens. Provocative stories sell. The story of success through faith and hard work is less exciting. But these are deliberate cinematic techniques, not neutral reporting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Our campus is located in the rolling hills of Orange County, NY, in a place called Dragon \r\nSprings, which is also home to Buddhist-style temple grounds, Fei Tian Academy of \r\nthe Arts, and Fei Tian College (both schools are New York-registered and \r\noffer a full academic curriculum alongside elite arts training). Dragon Springs is not walled in, but rather, \r\nset amidst 400 acres of woodland, complete with a network of walking \r\npaths and exquisite Tang Dynasty-style architecture. While some students and staff live on campus, many live in the \r\nsurrounding areas and commute to work at Dragon Springs each day. Learn more here.<\/a><\/p> World-class performance requires discipline, sacrifice, and \r\nresilience. Like elite athletes, Shen Yun performers train long hours, \r\nendure injuries and criticism, and reach for high standards. Excellence \r\nis demanding—and not for everyone.<\/p> <\/p> We are not perfect. Self-reflection and improvement are core to our beliefs, and we continually work to strengthen our training, management, and support systems. But the environment portrayed in these stories bears little resemblance to reality. Anyone who speaks directly with our performers will hear a very different story.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Responsible journalism requires balance, due diligence, and awareness of transnational repression. By failing to meet these standards, some media outlets end up misleading audiences, obscuring the full picture, and even discouraging serious concern for human rights in China. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Those who believe their framing will also miss out on experiencing a performance that audience members call inspiring, uplifting, and full of hope—one that shows both China before communism and the reality in China today.\r\n<\/p> And that’s exactly what the CCP wanted all along.<\/p>","tag":"","imageId":"22659","imageIdFeatured":"0","videoLink":"","videoId":"0","contentRelated":"52860,52767","imageSquareId":"0","showOnNewsPage":"1"},"ext":{"id":"443","contentId":"52920","featured":"1","location":"","introduction":" Alongside many fair articles and thousands of glowing reviews<\/a> from audience members speaking on camera, some recent news pieces about Shen Yun have repeated a nearly identical sensationalist formula. They recycle long-debunked narratives and, knowingly or not, follow the disinformation playbook of the world’s most sophisticated propaganda machine.<\/p>","body":" March 01, 2026<\/p> Alongside many fair articles and thousands of glowing reviews<\/a> from audience members speaking on camera, some recent news pieces about Shen Yun have repeated a nearly identical sensationalist formula. They recycle long-debunked narratives and, knowingly or not, follow the disinformation playbook of the world’s most sophisticated propaganda machine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n What unites us at Shen Yun is the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa, the Buddhist-based meditation discipline that originated in China. For 26 years, Falun Dafa practitioners have been subjected to a brutal persecution campaign at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Our family and friends have been imprisoned, tortured, and murdered. <\/p>\r\n\r\n In response to the urgency of the persecution we stepped forward to call attention to it and to show what Chinese civilization looked like without communism. That is why Shen Yun exists—and why the CCP fears it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Over the last few years, the CCP has escalated its attempts to discredit us. Unfortunately, in covering Shen Yun, some mainstream news pieces and social media videos have been echoing both Beijing-based disinformation and each other. <\/p>\r\n\r\n In an effort to set the record straight and provide journalists and influencers with the full picture, here are nine things media have been consistently getting wrong:<\/p>\r\n\r\n Some media reports elevate a handful of former performers whose accounts contradict the statements of hundreds of current and former members who describe overwhelmingly positive experiences with Shen Yun. Read a petition<\/a> from 766 current and former performers calling the allegations against Shen Yun “gross distortions and false narratives about our work, our faith, and our way of life.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n After leaving Shen Yun, several accusers later developed ties to Beijing Dance Academy<\/a>, a CCP-run institution, and their narratives then changed dramatically. What is their motivation for seeking media attention and lawsuits now, a decade after leaving the company? Furthermore, elite dance training practices are mischaracterized as “abusive,” when, in fact, they are common across most professional dance disciplines.<\/p>\r\n\r\n a. The denial of medical treatment claim.<\/em> This is blatantly false—performers receive standard medical treatment<\/strong>, including MRIs, surgeries, physical therapy, and ongoing care from partnered medical providers who are on campus regularly. What company wouldn’t want its dancers to be healthy? More on this.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n b. The child labor claim.<\/em> Over 85% of Shen Yun’s touring members are adults.<\/strong> Students under 18 perform with Shen Yun as part of a practicum program at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts. The practicum is part of a curriculum approved by the New York State Department of Education. This is an essential and indispensable immersive training opportunity for students aspiring to become top classical Chinese dancers or musicians. More on this.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n c. The coercion claim.<\/em> The reality is that performers freely audition, enroll voluntarily, and are free to leave at any time.<\/strong> For many, performing in Shen Yun is a lifelong dream. Sure, every year a small number leave for other endeavors. Some, including one accuser often quoted in media, actually tried to return to Shen Yun even after leaving. The growth and success of the company wouldn’t be possible if perfor mers weren’t happy to be here. Hear directly from students and performers.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n Shen Yun was created in response to a brutal religious persecution affecting tens of millions in China. These ongoing atrocities are not “alleged”—they are documented by the US State Department, Amnesty International, Freedom House, the EU, and others. Among our performers are people who were prisoners of conscience in China or lost parents to torture in Chinese prisons. <\/p>\r\n Learn why the persecution is happening in China today<\/a>. Over the past three years, the CCP has dramatically escalated its disinformation efforts against Shen Yun. Beijing has paid influencers, planted media stories, used online bots, and instigated frivolous lawsuits. We have also experienced death and bomb threats, break-ins, vandalism, and espionage—all part of the CCP’s well-documented transnational repression in the US. <\/p> Read about leaked documents from China that outline the disinformation campaign.<\/a><\/p> <\/a>Video: Why is Beijing Trying to Silence American Artists?<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n The essence of our Falun Dafa faith is self-improvement by living with honesty, kindness, and resilience. Rather than showing who Falun Dafa practitioners really are—ordinary people who meditate, work, raise families, and live normal lives—media sometimes echo the CCP’s “cult” framing by cherry-picking anecdotes and emphasizing supposed abnormality. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Some Western media have done this for over two decades, and the result is that our free press amplifies the CCP’s narrative that dehumanizes us. These portrayals are then often circulated in China and used to justify further persecution of our fellow believers. Irresponsible journalism has real human consequences.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n
<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n
<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\n1. They source disproportionately<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n2. They fail to scrutinize accusers<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n3. Repeating disproven claims<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n4. They minimize the context and urgency of millions being persecuted<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
When Persecution Hits Home<\/a>—over 90 Shen Yun performers and their families directly experienced it.
Congressional bill The Falun Gong Protection Act<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\n5. They downplay the CCP’s role in disinformation<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n6. Instead of transparently showing our faith, they amplify the narrative of the regime that persecutes us<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
7. Emotional manipulation<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
8. They wrongly label Shen Yun’s beautiful campus as a ‘compound’<\/h2>
9. The truth is: becoming an elite dancer takes hard work<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
Our takeaway<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n1. They source disproportionately<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n2. They fail to scrutinize accusers<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n3. Repeating disproven claims<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n4. They minimize the context and urgency of millions being persecuted<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
When Persecution Hits Home<\/a>—over 90 Shen Yun performers and their families directly experienced it.
Congressional bill The Falun Gong Protection Act<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\r\n5. They downplay the CCP’s role in disinformation<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
\r\n6. Instead of transparently showing our faith, they amplify the narrative of the regime that persecutes us<\/h2>\r\n\r\n