If an American company like Shen Yun can be attacked and smeared with lies by our mainstream media, so can anyone else. As an American, I was shocked by recent media articles about Shen Yun Performing Arts, describing a company bearing no resemblance to my experience in it. I’ve been a Shen Yun dancer for over a decade, and recognize the claims in the hit pieces only by their resemblance to Beijing propaganda.
For me and the people I know at Shen Yun, becoming a dancer was a dream come true. I grew up in Los Angeles, where my father, a Ph.D., worked on jets and satellites. I witnessed the assembly of the Mars Curiosity Rover, and frequently wondered about life and the universe. After watching a Shen Yun performance, I became proud of my heritage as a Chinese American for the first time. Previously, I’d only seen “China” associated with communism, censorship, and cheap plastic things. But here I saw a China before communism, one that was principled and spiritual. I wanted to be a part of reviving five millennia of culture. When I told my dad my wishes, he encouraged me. “It’s not just science and technology that can change the world,” he said, “Art can too.”
And so, in the middle of high school, I flew to New York to attend Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, an accredited boarding school where Shen Yun dancers often begin their education and training. At Fei Tian, and later in Shen Yun, I discovered a second family. I grew and matured with artists who motivated and looked after each other. Together, we zeroed in on the pursuit of excellence.
change my personality. Before I joined this community, I used to argue for the pure sake of proving others wrong. I was quick to fault others and slow to self-reflect. The culture of Shen Yun — the open-mindedness and kindness of people around me — thawed my prudishness. I began to place relationships and values above all else. I bonded with a circle of friends who are like brothers. I found a sense of purpose — to be a part of something greater than myself.
At Shen Yun, wallets and other valuables can just be left in public areas. For weeks, my colleagues and I bustled past a $100 bill on a table, patiently awaiting its owner. A unique aspect of the Shen Yun community is that although we hail from different backgrounds and cultures, we practice Falun Gong meditation together; we are harmonized by a shared belief in the practice’s values: Truth, Compassion, Forbearance. We strive to be honest, good people.
Our success — performing in front of millions — has not been easy. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been trying to stop us from day one. Perhaps the CCP doesn’t like the fact that we’re reviving a culture it worked so hard to destroy. It may not like the fact that we’re based in New York and outside its control. It certainly doesn’t like the fact that in our performances we tell the story of how the CCP is brutally persecuting Falun Gong practitioners China.
And so CCP sends consulate representatives to theaters to try to cancel our shows. It threatens our family members back in China. Here in the U.S., our bus tires were dangerously slashed and we’ve been receiving death threats. Someone created an X account impersonating my company manager and posted nonsense to vilify us. For years, the CCP has tried to get its misinformation into our mainstream media. Their propaganda apparatchiks in Beijing must now be jumping up and down.
I can’t say much about the motivation of those out there to defame us. I can only tell you this: Shen Yun gave me lifelong friends, fitness, love, and a better soul. It has been the most rewarding experience of my life. And if newspapers can turn something so positive and spin it as they do, then I’m not surprised American trust of media is at an all-time low.
Hubert Qu travels the world as a professional dancer with Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Image: Shen Yun Performing Arts
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