Shen Yun

In 2006, a group of expatriate Falun Gong practitioners living in North America founded Shen Yun in New York. The stated purpose of the company was to revive Chinese culture and traditions from the time before the Chinese Communist Revolution. In a journal article analyzing Falun Gong’s geopolitics, scholar Weihsuan Lin wrote: "Shen Yun’s ‘reviving five thousand years of civilization’ attempts to question and separate the entanglement between the Party and the State; it enacts, globally, an alternative geopolitical discourse in which a culturally rich and prosperous China without the CCP existed in the past and is coming again in the near future." In 2007, the company conducted its first tour with 90 dancers, musicians, soloists, and production staff. Early shows were titled "Chinese Spectacular", "Chinese New Year Splendor", and "Divine Performing Arts", but now the company performs exclusively under the name "Shen Yun". By 2009, Shen Yun had developed three full companies and orchestras that toured the world simultaneously. By the end of the 2010 season, approximately one million people had seen the troupes perform. Editor Chris Jennewein of MyNewsLA wrote that Los Angeles Magazine was sued for defamation in May 2020 by the Epoch Times, referring to Braslow's news report. Los Angeles Magazine pulled the piece from their website in July, as ordered by federal judge George H. Wu, and published a retraction notice in the September 2020 issue of the magazine. Shen Yun Performing Arts, founded in New York in 2006 by Falun Gong practitioners, tours internationally with performances depicting traditional Chinese culture. The company has reported security incidents, including threats and vandalism, which it attributes to actors linked to the Chinese Communist Party, in the context of China’s longstanding restrictions on Falun Gong since 1999. ==Marketing==

Shen Yun promotes itself as "a presentation of traditional Chinese culture as it once was". It is heavily promoted in major cities with commercials, billboards, and brochures displayed in streets and in businesses, as well as in television and radio profiles. According to Jia Tolentino of The New Yorker, "The ads have to be both ubiquitous and devoid of content so that they can convince more than a million people to pay good money to watch what is, essentially, religious-political propaganda—or, more generously, an extremely elaborate commercial for Falun Dafa’s spiritual teachings and its plight vis-à-vis the Chinese Communist regime." Shen Yun's advertizing blitz campaigns have inspired several internet memes. Shen Yun performances are often presented or sponsored by regional Falun Gong groups, which has been banned by the Chinese government. Some audience members have objected to the show's promotion strategy, which does not note the religious- and political-themed content of the performance. Jim Kershner of The Spokesman-Review reported that while the show contained "a religious-political message", "[t]he vast majority of the show, however, has no overt message. It is dedicated mainly to keeping alive the traditional forms of Chinese music and dance that were suppressed during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and in subsequent decades." Chicago Tribune’s Gisela Orozco also noted that Shen Yun offered, "in a few passages, critical allusions to the communism that governs its country of origin, but without abounding on the subject." ==Content==

Dance Large-scale group dance is at the center of Shen Yun productions. Shen Yun's repertoire draws on stories from Chinese history and legends, such as the legend of Mulan, Journey to the West and Outlaws of the Marsh. It also depicts "the story of Falun Gong today". There are solo performances featuring Chinese instruments such as the in between dances. Interspersed between dance sequences, other than the performances, are operatic singers performing songs which sometimes invoke spiritual or religious themes, including references to the Falun Gong faith. A performance in 2007, for instance, included a reference to the Chakravartin, a figure in Buddhism who turns the wheel of Dharma. The music for Shen Yun was composed by Jing Xian and Junyi Tan. Three of Shen Yun's performers—flutist Ningfang Chen, erhuist Mei Xuan and tenor Guan Guimin—were recipients of the Chinese Ministry of Culture's "National First Class Performer" awards. Prior to joining Shen Yun, Guan Guimin was well known in China for his work on soundtracks for more than 50 movies and television shows. Other notable performers include soloist Xiaochun Qi. Costume and backdrops performing in 2009 Shen Yun's dancers perform wearing intricate costumes, often accompanied by a variety of props. Each Shen Yun piece is set against a digitally projected backdrop, usually depicting landscapes such as Mongolian grasslands, imperial courts, ancient villages, temples, or mountains. Some backdrops contain moving elements, such as digital versions of the dancers, that integrate with the performance. ==Reviews==

Sid Smith of Chicago Tribune wrote that a 2008 Shen Yun performance was "more uneven" than other cultural performances he had seen, but that the women dancers were "a beautiful and haunting ensemble" with "a nimble mastery of traditional talents." Regina Weinreich wrote in a HuffPost blog that Shen Yun's debut at Lincoln Center in 2011 "enacts the rich cultural heritage of China" and noted some descriptions of oppression in the performance. Laura Falcoff, writing in the Argentinian newspaper Clarín, described Shen Yun in 2012 as a "spectacular production that beautifully combines China's ancient traditions with cutting-edge technological advancements" and called it an "ideal performance for audiences of all ages, especially children." Carmen Del Val of the Spanish newspaper El País wrote that a 2014 performance was "an explosion of color and energy". Rachel Molenda of Charleston Gazette-Mail wrote of a 2015 Shen Yun performance at the Clay Center, where the audience gave a standing ovation, "The pairing of projected backgrounds and animation with real-time performance (dance and orchestral) was surreal. Sometimes I questioned whether the musicians, whose compositions were lovely, were really there." Gisela Orozco of Chicago Tribune wrote that a 2016 Shen Yun performance emphasized "the cultural part and faith that existed before in China," presented "fables told with dance and music, which talk about philosophy, literature and art”, and expressed values “such as loyalty, kindness, bravery, love”. An article in the Minnesota Star Tribune said the political message of Shen Yun "feels more like propaganda than straightforwardly presented cultural heritage." Jia Tolentino wrote in The New Yorker that a scene in the show contained homophobia. Emily Needham of The Washington Post drew parallels between Shen Yun and Cold War-era U.S. State Department cultural diplomacy programs, describing both as being "built on the idea that dance can transcend language differences and build mutual understanding with audiences through a shared cultural experience." She concluded: "Today’s Shen Yun performances are grand, with a large cast of 180 brilliant dancers, spectacular sets and bright colors. Dance can be beautiful while also performing political arguments. They are not mutually exclusive." In a 2024 Los Angeles Review of Books article, Arielle Gordon stated that Shen Yun diffuses Falun Gong’s homophobia and misogyny. In a review of the 2026 performance, Keith Bramich of Classical Music Daily wrote that in addition to dance and live orchestral music, "particularly impressive was the effect of dancers moving from the stage into the video backdrop and vice-versa." He described his overall experience as "a highly entertaining but slightly puzzling afternoon of traditional Chinese culture." ==Tours==

Shen Yun's eight companies tour for six months each year, performing in over 130 cities in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. the London Coliseum in London, England; the Dutch National Opera and Ballet in Amsterdam, Netherlands; and the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. By the conclusion of Shen Yun's 2010 performance, an estimated one million people had seen the performance worldwide. Shen Yun does not perform in China due to opposition from the Chinese government, which Shen Yun representatives allege is based on its depictions of political repression in the country as well as expressions of traditional Chinese cultural history that the CCP government has tried to suppress. The Chinese government has attempted to cancel Shen Yun performances abroad through political pressure exerted by its foreign embassies and consulates. Shen Yun was scheduled to perform in Hong Kong in January 2010, but the tour was cancelled after entry visas were refused to their production crew. In February 2020, Shen Yun was the subject of accusations of its dancers spreading the coronavirus from Asia to the United States. Health officials in Utah dismissed the rumors. On February 20, 2025, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was evacuated following a bomb threat specifically targeting Shen Yun’s scheduled performances, though nothing was found and all shows continued as planned with increased security. Shen Yun representatives stated that they received 50 similar threats over the past three months, alleging they were part of a Chinese government campaign against the group. In March 2025, multiple Taiwanese government agencies, including the Mainland Affairs Council and Taichung City Government, received bomb threats targeting a Shen Yun tour in Taiwan. Investigators traced their origin to the area of Huawei’s Xi’an Research Institute in Shaanxi, China. Authorities determined them to be hoaxes, and the tour proceeded as scheduled with increased security measures. During Shen Yun's 2025 tour in South Korea, Kangwon National University notified the group on April 16 that it was canceling the contract for the May performances at its venue, due to protests from the Chinese Embassy in South Korea. However, the Chuncheon District Court later granted Shen Yun's application for an injunction to prohibit interference with the performances originally scheduled. In February 2026, ahead of a tour in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from his residence after Shen Yun received a message threatening that explosives would be detonated there if the group's performances were not cancelled. The Chinese government denied any involvement in the threats. == Treatment of performers ==

Shen Yun has more recently been criticized for the treatment of its dancers. A 2024 New York Times investigation alleged that Shen Yun routinely discouraged performers from seeking medical care for injuries and enforced grueling rehearsal and tour schedules through emotional abuse and manipulation. They report that Shen Yun recruits underage dancers and musicians to work long hours with little pay. Shen Yun stated on its website that 85% of its performers are adults, and that student performers receive $50,000 worth of scholarships per year to attend Shen Yun-affiliated schools that are registered with the New York State Education Department or accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Leaders of Shen Yun reportedly warned performers that leaving the organization could result in dire consequences, such as losing Li's protective guidance. Seven former performers recounted being informed that if they chose to resign from Shen Yun, they would be required to repay the costs associated with their education, housing, and living expenses provided under full scholarships, potentially amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. They noted, however, that there was no follow-through on these repayment demands. Former dancer Mingye Liu said he had a positive experience with Shen Yun and it is a company with a sense of mission and pride where many top artists joined and stayed. Shen Yun alleged that the lawsuit was part of a coordinated offensive orchestrated by the Chinese regime. In February 2025, The New York Times reported that federal authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into Shen Yun, focused at least in part on possible visa fraud. The Times reported that the organisation's leaders had allegedly tried to set up foreign students with American citizens in relationships for the purpose of issuing visas. ==Falun Gong and Dragon Springs compound==

Shen Yun operates out of Falun Gong's headquarters in the Dragon Springs compound in Deerpark, New York, where it has large rehearsal spaces. Dragon Springs is registered as a religious property under the church name Dragon Springs Buddhist. According to NBC News: "The Epoch Media Group, along with Shen Yun, a dance troupe known for its ubiquitous advertising and unsettling performances, make up the outreach effort of Falun Gong, a relatively new spiritual practice that combines ancient Chinese meditative exercises, mysticism and often ultraconservative cultural worldviews. Falun Gong's founder has referred to Epoch Media Group as 'our media', and the group's practice heavily informs The Epoch Times coverage, according to former employees who spoke with NBC News. The Epoch Times, digital production company New Tang Dynasty Television, and the heavily advertised dance troupe Shen Yun make up the nonprofit network that Li calls 'our media'. Financial documents paint a complicated picture of more than a dozen technically separate organizations that appear to share missions, money and executives." ==Chinese government action==

The Chinese government has attempted to stop the group from performing abroad by pressuring theatre managers or sending letters or e-mails to theaters in multiple countries, including Ireland, Germany, South Korea and Sweden. As of 2019, more than sixty such attempts had been documented across the world, including in Europe and North America. In 2010, pressure from the Chinese government caused Shen Yun shows in Romania, Greece, Moldova and Ukraine to be cancelled. In 2019, the Royal Opera of Madrid scheduled several performances of Shen Yun. Madrid opera sold 900 tickets for the performances, but canceled the event. The Royal Opera claimed technical problems, but the then Chinese ambassador to Madrid Lü Fan said in a recording that it had been he who had pressured and given directions to the theatre to cancel the performance using technical issues as a pretext. In November 2024, a man was sentenced for acting on behalf of the Chinese government in bribing an Internal Revenue Service agent to take away Shen Yun's tax exemption status. ==Symphony orchestra==

with Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra at Kennedy Center In October 2012, Shen Yun's symphony orchestra made its debut performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. The performance featured conductors Milen Nachev, Keng-Wei Kuo, and Antonia Joy Wilson, and the program included both classical works such as Beethoven's Egmont Overture and Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto in C Major, as well as original compositions that fuse Chinese and Western instruments. In 2013, the symphony orchestra toured seven American cities. In addition to Carnegie Hall, it performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2023, the orchestra made its debut at David Geffen Hall in New York, with classical works and original compositions. ==See also==