A representative for the group explains why the piece ties in with a much bigger picture to try and tear down the traditional production.
The New York Times is at it again, publishing a piece in an effort to do harm to the Shen Yun production.
Just months after it accused the popular show of mistreating performers, the publication has let loose with a series of new comments, indicating that it doesn’t pay its student performers enough and how the Labor Department has opened an inquiry into the matter.
However, Shen Yun has since responded, noting that the article has been “riddled with inaccuracies.”
“The recent Times articles that have appeared over the past several months are precisely an attack on the faith that drives us and the hard work that characterizes our performance culture,” the group noted earlier this month.
The group has been under consistent watch by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), despite the fact that it has been absolutely celebratory in tone when it comes to all things Chinese culture. It believes that the CCP has been pushing tactics to discredit the popular show at every turn, mainly due to its organizers, Falun Gong, being involved.
“[The New York Times article] grossly distorts the common practices and culture of our organization in an attempt to paint a false picture that our company ‘[relies] on minors and teenagers,’” the production noted in its statement. “This narrative flies in the face of fact and is based on the personal accounts of a mere handful of disgruntled former artists.”
What’s more, Shen Yun made it clear that only a small portion of its team are “talented young people” with affiliations to schools, “as part of a curriculum approved by the New York State Department of Education.” This further disproves the New York Times’ false statements in its piece.
A member for Shen Yun joins us now to discuss the situation further. We welcome them to the show!
Q&A:
- Why is the Chinese Communist Party so determined to discredit Shen Yun? Does this have to do with its organizers within Falun Gong?
- What do you think the reasoning was with the New York Times continuing to attack Shen Yun? Especially with so many “inaccuracies” within it?
- Do you believe the CCP – and possibly even the Times – will continue this push as 2025 comes around?
- You work very closely with your team to keep things balanced, including adults and students alike. How happy would you say they are with the production?
- What can fans look forward to with Shen Yun shows in 2025?
- Where can we learn more about the beautiful art of Shen Yun, and how it motivates others?
- The official website can be found here. Tickets to shows are also available there for purchase.
FROM SHEN YUN
Piotr Huang
Shen Yun Principal Dancer Piotr Huang holds a Master of Fine Arts in classical Chinese dance from Fei Tian College in New York. He won gold in New Tang Dynasty Television’s 2014 International Classical Chinese Dance Competition’s and has performed over 1,500 shows with Shen Yun on the some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Born in Poland, Mr. Huang may have pursued a basketball career had he not turned his energies to dance.
Samples of Piotr on camera:
- https://youtu.be/St0tJ1vAwVc?t=890
- https://youtu.be/St0tJ1vAwVc?t=1571
- https://www.shenyuncreations.com/video/_video_4c946017331d4f10a421600409ab2565/Shen-Yun-Principal-Dancers-Top-7-Essentials?pid=p_NLB4jvIQQ5u2&view=
Shindy Cai
Shindy Cai was born and raised in Sacramento, California. She attended the San Francisco High School of the Arts before furthering her studies in classical Chinese dance at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts in New York. She has been touring with Shen Yun since 2013 and has performed in over 900 shows around the world. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing, has a secret weakness for chocolate chip cookies and good poetry, and gets overly excited when she hears great music.
Samples of Shindy on camera:
Jared Madsen
Jared was one of the first students from Iowa to study in China where he fell in love with Chinese culture. For the past 18 years, Jared has served as MC for Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Samples of Jared on camera:
- https://www.shenyuncreations.com/video/_video_8c5f163284fe4e9281ac40a7c85f684c/An-Inside-Look-at-Shen-YunE28093And-How-ItE28099s-Defying-the-CCPE28099s-Global-Campaign-to-Cancel-It-?pid=p_DaJ4kSAASRyd&view=
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTRDEDglS24
Alice Liu
Alice Liu has performed over 1,500 shows with Shen Yun to date. A timpanist and percussionist, she also performed with Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and other prestigious venues, is featured on many recordings for CD and DVD, and boasts more than 16 years of orchestral performance experience.
FROM FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER
Levi Browde
Levi Browde serves as the Executive Director with the New York-based Falun Dafa Information Center – an organization dedicated to ending the human rights abuses against people who practice Falun Gong in China.
Over the past 20 years, Browde has been interviewed and quoted by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, CNN, the Associated Press, TIME Magazine, BBC, AFP, and other media outlets. He has spoken about Falun Gong and human rights in China at briefings on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, at the United Nations human rights sessions in Geneva, Switzerland.
Browde studied East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University and is an avid supporter of traditional Chinese culture. He founded several software start-ups, and lives in New York with his wife and two sons.
Samples of Levi on camera:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS3RS4vJguI
- https://tv.faluninfo.net/unmasking-chinas-gestapo-610-office/
- https://tv.faluninfo.net/levi-browde-exposes-the-new-york-times-distorted-coverage-of-human-rights/
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