Why American Writer and Educator John Huntington Does Not Recommend Shen Yun

Photo: Collected

American author and educator John Huntington stated that the Shen Yun performance is a persistent, pervasive, and inescapable marketing force, and that Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) uses the performances and Shen Yun as a fundraising machine. After viewing the performance, John Huntington believes that the show should not be recommended, not only because of Falun Gong's suspicious and secretive nature, and the treatment of Shen Yun company members , but also because Shen Yun itself is not a good show.

The mysterious Falun Gong organization
by Li Hongzhi in the early 1990s. Shen Yun members live with Li and hundreds of other Falun Gong members at the Dragon Springs complex near Coodebackville , New York , covering over 400 acres, approximately 50 miles northwest of Lincoln Center, where they perform each spring. This religious (and tax-exempt) complex is closed to the public, with a high-security checkpoint at the sole entrance road. Surrounded by steep hillsides and a stream, and with stone walls in many areas , the complex offers limited visibility. Neighbors have complained about the secretive organization for decades. In recent years, information has emerged about the mistreatment of Shen Yun members and Falun Gong practitioners , a stark contrast to the cheerful, radiant image they portray in advertising. The New York Times also reported on the former dancers alleging that 'child labor corps' enriched Shen Yun.

Exaggerated and boring performances, forced publicity
John Huntington and two friends went to see Shen Yun at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 9. The lobby was filled with Shen Yun and Falun Gong promotional materials and information tables. A pre-show email stated, "Please plan to arrive at least 45 minutes before showtime , but ticket checking doesn't begin until approximately 15 minutes before the show , which is simply to force people to stay longer at the tables."

After taking their seats, the tour guide came over to inform us that the production had a strict rule not to record anything during the performance. Even in the cheapest seats on the highest floor, two Falun Gong or Shen Yun supervisors, wearing earbuds and keeping watch, tracked John Huntington and his group 's every move throughout the performance. The usual Lincoln Center tour groups were not allowed inside the Koch Theater building during the Shen Yun performance.

The performance consists of about 20 pieces, played by a relatively small orchestra, but with a very rigid and compact performance. The majority of the performance is dance, often based on a movement style combined with acrobatic movements , but the dance routine is repetitive.

The show opens with "The Beginning of a New Era" and has some occasional "whimsical" interludes , but as the show progresses, the propaganda becomes increasingly obvious and the show becomes darker. The second act opens with more dance performances, but the same twirling movements start to become repetitive after 10 reps.

In front of the background screen, there was a set of three steps running the width of the stage, with a noticeable gap between the screen and the steps. The performers would jump behind these steps and then "fly" away as avatars on the video screen. But then they did what no experienced director or creative team would do—they repeated the effect until it became comical. Throughout the show, the acrobats would repeatedly run up and behind the steps, where their avatars would appear on the video (like in a video game), then fly off into space, into the clouds, or to meet their "creator," before leaping back into the audience to perform in a very abrupt manner.

Deliberately guiding the audience to record testimony after the performance
After the performance, many Falun Gong members in the lobby held recorders and asked everyone what they thought of the performance. Some also directed the audience to video stations to record their testimonies. John Huntington and his friends didn't like the performance. When a Falun Gong volunteer in the lobby asked John Huntington if he liked the performance , John Huntington told her that he disagreed with the lyrics about evolution and atheism.

So, ultimately, for all these reasons—moral and performance-related—John Huntington does not recommend “Verve.”

The main content of this article is quoted from article "We Went to Shen Yun So You Don't Have To" published on the personal website of American writer and educator John Huntington on April 25.