Latest news with #ShenYunPerformingArts
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.
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
When a Bar Closes, Who Gets the Neon Sign?
Good morning. It's Friday. Today we'll look at a fight over a once familiar neon sign on the Upper East Side. We'll also get details on a federal investigation involving Shen Yun Performing Arts, the touring dance group run by the Falun Gong religious movement. This is about a bar fight, but not one that involves drunk customers throwing boilermakers — or haymakers — at each other. At issue is a distinctive neon sign that used to frame a dive bar on the Upper East Side, a place where the playwright Wendy Wasserstein said 'it makes a lot of sense not to order wine.' The sign spelled the name of the Subway Inn in red letters — and followed the bar, as it moved from one storefront to another, and another. Then, last month, the sign disappeared — taken, by all accounts, by the new tenant in the storefront that the Subway Inn vacated in December. The new tenant said that the sign belonged to him because the Subway Inn had not removed it. Steve Salinas, whose family operated the Subway Inn for more than 15 years, disputed that claim and went to the police. The Subway Inn was one of those places that drew everyone from doormen and construction workers to businesspeople and tired shoppers needing pick-me-ups. At 143 East 60th Street, the home of the Subway Inn for 70 years, one entrance to the 59th Street subway station was steps from the door, and Bloomingdale's was right across the street. When the bar opened in the 1930s, the Third Avenue El clattered at the other end of the block. The writer Robert Simonson called the Subway Inn 'an endearing dump of a saloon' that had become 'something of a cultural rebuke' to its surroundings. Wasserstein, who died in 2006, said that the bar's ambience came from customers 'who look like they're something out of Eugene O'Neill's 'The Iceman Cometh.'' The original owner, Charlie Ackerman, was in his 90s when he died in 2007. Marcello Salinas, who had started as a porter, became the owner, and he left the bar to his wife, Patricia, and their son Steve when he died in 2016. By then, the Subway Inn had relocated to 60th Street and Second Avenue, next to the Queensboro Bridge. In 2022, after the landlord moved to demolish the building, the Subway Inn moved a few doors up Second Avenue, to No. 1154. But 'things have never quite been the same,' the Salinases said when they announced that they were closing the bar in December. 'The excitement and momentum that we had anticipated just never materialized,' they wrote. 'It became apparent that the landscape had changed irreversibly.' 'We've seen a shift in the way people live, work and spend their time,' they wrote. 'The rhythms of the city that once sustained places like Subway Inn no longer feel the same. The vibrant nightlife and bustling atmosphere we relied on have gradually given way to quieter, more introspective times.' The result, they wrote, was that 'our ability to keep up with operational costs and overheads became unsustainable.' Steve Salinas said that the landlord had found a new tenant — Gerry Doyle, who runs Kelly's, a sports bar on the Lower East Side. Salinas said that the deal had called for him to leave behind the restaurant equipment. But he said that the deal did not cover the sign, so he had made arrangements to have it removed and stored. He said that the person who had maintained it for him could not tackle the job until after Jan. 1. Salinas said he had figured that would be fine: Doyle had not obtained a liquor license and could not open without one. When the man who had looked after the sign for Salinas arrived at the bar, there was no sign to remove. Salinas said he had telephoned the building superintendent, who told him, 'Gerry took it down,' referring to Doyle. Salinas then called Doyle, who maintained that the sign now belonged to him. 'He hadn't taken it down,' Doyle said on Wednesday. 'He has no legal right to it. He's trying to say it's his. It's not. When you leave stuff behind, you give up ownership of it.' 'I can't open my business with somebody else's sign above,' he said. Salinas said he had filed a police report saying the sign was removed without permission. The police confirmed that the report had been filed and said that the matter was under investigation. Doyle said that the sign was in Brooklyn and that he had paid $5,000 to have it taken away. 'It's out of my hands,' he said. Expect sunny skies and moderate wind with a high around 40 degrees. The evening will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 27 degrees. In effect until Feb. 12 (Lincoln's Birthday). The latest Metro news Shen Yun is said to be under federal investigation over possible visa fraud Shen Yun Performing Arts, the touring dance group run by the Falun Gong religious movement, is under federal investigation for possible visa fraud, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Agents conducting the investigation have also sought information about Shen Yun's financial and labor practices, including whether performers were directed to smuggle cash into the United States when returning from tours overseas, according to people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. My colleagues Michael Rothfeld and Nicole Hong write that the full scope of the inquiry is not clear, and it may not result in any charges. The investigation is being overseen by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, as well as by federal prosecutors in Manhattan. But the investigation is taking place during a period of intense scrutiny for Shen Yun. Last year, a New York Times investigation revealed that the group paid its young performers little or nothing to work long hours and keep grueling schedules. Ying Chen, a representative of Shen Yun, said that the group had yet to hear from federal authorities but would 'cooperate fully' if contacted. Spokespeople for the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan all declined to comment. The inquiry, which has been in progress since at least 2023, has also focused in part on whether Shen Yun's leaders arranged romantic relationships for the group's performers, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The Times reported in August that Shen Yun's leaders have tried to set up foreign students with American citizens in relationships that some former performers believed were for visa purposes. Male and female performers in Shen Yun were not supposed to speak to one another unless necessary for work, and dating required permission from Shen Yun's leaders, according to interviews with former performers. Chen, in her statement, wrote that 'all marriages within our community are genuine.' Good Sign Dear Diary: My son had just turned 16 and was eager to get his learner's permit. So after school one day, we headed to the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Coney Island. My son filled out and submitted the paperwork just before the last exam of the day was announced. A clerk called his name. 'But I haven't looked at the manual yet,' my son said. The clerk looked at him and then at his paperwork. 'Come on,' he said. 'You're a Capricorn. You know everything.' — Susan Hulkower Illustrated by Agnes Lee. Send submissions here and read more Metropolitan Diary here. Glad we could get together here. See you tomorrow. — J.B. P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword and Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here. Natasha Cornelissen and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@ Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
New York Times
06-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Shen Yun Is Said to Be Under Federal Investigation Over Possible Visa Fraud
Federal authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into Shen Yun Performing Arts, the touring dance group run by the Falun Gong religious movement, according to nine people with knowledge of the matter. The investigation is being overseen by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, as well as federal prosecutors in Manhattan. It has focused at least in part on possible visa fraud, some of the people said. The full scope of the inquiry is unclear, and it may not result in any charges. But it is taking place during a period of intense scrutiny for Shen Yun. Last year, a New York Times investigation revealed that the dance group has exploited its young performers, typically the children of Falun Gong followers, by paying them little or nothing to work long hours and keep grueling schedules. New York regulators have separately begun an inquiry into whether the group has complied with state labor law, and a former performer has filed a lawsuit accusing Shen Yun of forced labor and human trafficking. The agents conducting the federal criminal investigation have also sought information about Shen Yun's financial and labor practices, including whether performers were directed to smuggle cash into the United States when returning from tours overseas, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing inquiry. Ying Chen, a representative of Shen Yun, said the group had yet to hear from federal authorities but would 'cooperate fully' if contacted. 'We operate with integrity and remain committed to upholding the highest artistic and ethical standards,' she wrote, adding that the group was dedicated to complying with 'all applicable laws.' Spokespeople for the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan all declined to comment. Known for its ubiquitous advertising, Shen Yun stages hundreds of performances a year around the world. Its music and dance pieces deliver the anti-Communist message of Falun Gong, which has been banned by the Chinese government, and the spiritual teachings of Li Hongzhi, the religious movement's founder and leader. Many of Shen Yun's performers have joined the group in New York while on student visas from Taiwan, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. Their training is overseen by Mr. Li himself, who is in his early 70s and is viewed by many Falun Gong followers as the creator of the universe. Falun Gong's headquarters in Cuddebackville, N.Y., includes a boarding school and college where Shen Yun's performers can live and study. The criminal inquiry, which has been in progress since at least 2023, has focused in part on whether Shen Yun's leaders arranged romantic relationships for its performers, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The Times reported in August that Shen Yun's leaders have tried to set up foreign students with American citizens in relationships that some former performers believed were for visa purposes. Male and female performers in Shen Yun were not supposed to speak to one another unless it was necessary for work, and dating required permission from Shen Yun's leaders, according to interviews with former performers. Violators of these rules could face public shaming during group critique sessions — or expulsion from the group, former performers said. In her statement, Ms. Chen wrote, 'Falun Gong practitioners take the institution of marriage seriously, and any allegation otherwise is false. All marriages within our community are genuine.' Aside from asking about visas, federal investigators have also interviewed former Shen Yun performers and others about their working and living conditions, including their hours and compensation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The investigators were examining whether performers could come and go freely from the group's guarded compound northwest of New York City and whether their passports were confiscated when they joined Shen Yun. They were also investigating the nature and quality of the education provided by Shen Yun's training schools, some of the people said. Ms. Chen said that Shen Yun's student performers receive full scholarships and are provided with a 'modern education in all of the academic subjects that will prepare them for college but also in traditional Chinese beliefs and values.' She said the group holds on to students' passports for safekeeping, 'but we always return the passports when requested.' Representatives of Shen Yun and Falun Gong have said that state and federal labor laws do not apply to their student performers because they are receiving a learning opportunity, not working as employees. They have often sought to cast their critics, including former members of Shen Yun, as pawns of the Chinese government, which has persecuted Falun Gong followers for almost three decades. In her most recent statement, Ms. Chen said again that the Chinese Communist Party was driving a campaign to sabotage Shen Yun. 'In addition to such legal attacks,' she said, 'Shen Yun receives multiple threats every month of bombings, mass shootings and threats to rape and kill our female performers.' The investigation, which initially involved the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, expanded in recent months to include agents from Homeland Security Investigations, which conducts criminal inquiries into the illegal movement of people, goods and money into and out of the United States. Few businesses run by Falun Gong are more important to the movement than Shen Yun. A huge moneymaker, the dance group reported $266 million in assets at the end of 2023, its most recent tax filing showed, with nearly all of that kept in cash and other liquid instruments. Its current world tour began in December and is scheduled to travel to five continents, ending in May. In interviews with The Times, former performers said they had been discouraged from seeking medical treatment for injuries and had endured years of emotional abuse and manipulation by Shen Yun leaders who wanted them to stay in the group and keep performing. The Times has also reported that Shen Yun asked young performers to sneak cash into the United States — and that the group relied on free labor and financial support from Falun Gong followers, some of whom skirted federal rules to obtain $48 million in pandemic relief grants. The federal prosecutors' office involved in the investigation, in the Southern District of New York, brought a case last June against the chief financial officer of The Epoch Times, a news outlet run by Falun Gong practitioners. He was indicted on charges of conspiring to launder $67 million and of lying to a bank about its source — a scheme that inflated the newspaper's accounts, prosecutors said. Another Epoch Times employee has also been charged in the scheme. They have pleaded not guilty. The Times has reported that in 2020 and 2021, the period when prosecutors say the money laundering scheme was underway, The Epoch Times donated $16 million to Shen Yun and a school that trains its performers.
