A member of the famous dance group looks at the ill misperceptions of a YouTuber that believes it’s nothing more than a money-making opportunity.
Since its inception, Shen Yun has captivated many parts of the world with its elegant shows, celebrating the rich culture of China. However, some believe that it’s a show with much more sinister intentions.
One of those is Rebecca Watson, a popular streamer over on YouTube. She recently posted a video explaining how there’s actually a “dangerous cult” behind the show. She discussed the overabundance of advertising for a recent event in San Francisco.
“The sheer amount of advertising immediately tipped me off that this was a nefarious organization but at the time I had no idea how bad it actually was. It didn’t take me long to learn that the project was run by Falun Gong.” She would then discuss how Gong was “to put it bluntly, a cult.”
In her video, Watson also discusses how the show takes advantage of what she deems “free child labor,” as well as how years of training in the program feels more like “schooling.” She also explains how they are exempt from taxes since they serve as a “legitimate religion.”
But the question is this – is it really as harmful as Watson proclaims? Or is the “dangerous cult” notion as harmful as the New York Times piece that published back in August?
A member of Shen Yun joins us now to discuss these claims, and just how out of reach they truly are.
Q&A:
- What are your thoughts on YouTubers such as Watson trying to spread negative word about Shen Yun?
- What about her thoughts that Shen Yun serves as a place for “schooling” and how Falun Gong is a “dangerous cult”?
- Why are people so easy to misconceive what a show is about? Is it sheer jealousy or, in Watson’s case, just being tired of hearing about it?
- What do you think are the factors that drive Shen Yun’s success? Could that be why people such as Watson and the New York Times author are jealous of it?
- 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/
For Interviews, contact Bookings@SpecialGuests.com or call Todd Baumann at 512-966-0983
