Everybody's Talking About 'Shen Yun' — Is It a Cult? Inside the Dance Show's Ideology

Apr. 10 2023, Published 2:48 p.m. ET

It’s that point of year again when plant life bloom, we move outside, and Shen Yun is back on the town. It turns out as though no one has seen Shen Yun, but we all know what it is. It returns 12 months after 12 months to unfold anti-Communist cheer thru the artwork type of dance. Its advertising and marketing may be thought to be certainly one of the most successful campaigns of our time, and now, curiosity has killed the cat, sending many TikTokers to performances of Shen Yun.

Because of this, conspiracy theories are swirling thru TikTok about what Shen Yun really is. Is it a dance efficiency or a highly politicized piece of propaganda selling a “cult” called Falun Gong? And how long are the performances of Shen Yun?

TikTok is popularizing a conspiracy theory that ‘Shen Yun’ is a cult.

Various TikTokers have taken to the platform to proportion their studies with Shen Yun. Amelia G. Milne tried to provide a review however stated it used to be too “wild” to study. Her grandmother’s best feedback used to be “that she needs there was more dancing.”

Amelia endured to mention cases of a Jesus spirit, a lion spirit, and the “anti-Communist party they have been doing propaganda for.” Another person then commented that “Shen Yun is culty and wild.”

In addition, TikToker bennygoodmanisagod shared what he knew about Shen Yun when he came across a few of those omnipresent flyers: “Shen Yun is a f--king cult. It is a performance run by way of a cult named Falun Gong, and they’re very bad, so in case you see any person with Shen Yun posters, if you happen to see any Shen Yun billboards out in public, don't give it any attention, and God forbid, do not move to any in their performances. They are bad.”

Falun Gong, which is led by way of Li Hongzhi, is at the back of ‘Shen Yun.’

Shen Yun is run and sponsored through the non secular team Falun Gong, which was founded by its chief, Li Hongzhi, in the Nineteen Nineties. Falun Gong contains parts of Buddhism and Taoism, the use of qigong observe as its central concept to achieve enlightenment. The group is also identified for its anti-evolution beliefs and perspectives towards the Chinese Communist Party.

Li has made some arguable statements in the previous. He instructed Time magazine in 1992, "Everyone thinks that scientists invent on their own when in fact their inspiration is manipulated by the aliens … The ultimate purpose is to replace humans ... The human body is the most perfect in the universe. It is the most perfect form. The aliens want the human body."

Li reportedly additionally teaches racist and homophobic sentiments.

Because Li and Falun Gong are anti-Communist, the Chinese government (which is Communist) saw them as a danger, in order that they proceeded to ban the team's publications in 1999.

Li moved to upstate New York, where he now lives on a belongings known as The Mountain, also known as Dragon Springs, with many Falun Gong fans. Few former contributors have come ahead, however in 2020, Australian Broadcasting Corp. investigated via the lens of a defector and found examples of alleged abuse.

So is Falun Gong a cult? Does that make 'Shen Yun' a cult through association?

Cult specialist Rachel Bernstein previously explained to Distractify that a cult is ready “the power differential between the leader and the follower, the quantity of manipulation that exists in that courting, and the amount of deception that exists in the recruitment process.”

Without extra detailed investigation and information, it’s onerous to say if Falun Gong suits into that box.

In 2019, one in every of Falun Gong’s media retailers, the Epoch Times, transitioned clear of solely anti-Chinese government sentiment to include American politics. Li is a big Donald Trump supporter, and it is been stated that Falun Gong believes Trump was once “sent by way of heaven to smash the Chinese Communist Party.”

How lengthy is ‘Shen Yun’ if we do wish to go see it? What must we think?

For those that make a decision to see Shen Yun, it is simply necessary to remember that it will tout propaganda for Falun Gong and against the Chinese Communist Party.

The maximum jarring moments are when a person sings about how evolution isn’t real and a “skit where a person unknowingly harvests his daughter’s center for the Chinese Communist Party,” consistent with TikToker nxthxn.hill.

The performance lasts about two hours on the stage, with a 15-minute intermission. It gained’t hypnotize or brainwash you — many audience have come away totally understanding that it’s extremely politicized but have additionally enjoyed the performance as a work of art.

As some distance as the organ harvesting goes, various global organizations have discovered that China’s government has, in fact, harvested organs from Falun Gong’s imprisoned followers.

Profits from Shen Yun don’t enhance Falun Gong specifically, but they do pass toward the Fei Tan Academy of the Arts, which trains its dancers. The Academy occurs to be a part of The Mountain’s campus. In addition, only some of the dancers are paid, so those who purchase tickets will have to be aware that their payment isn’t necessarily paying the artists onstage, consistent with Hazlitt.

So is Shen Yun value seeing? It could also be higher to look at Shen Yun via the many TikTok tales and accounts, even if they seem too wild to be true.

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