Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by PCPP (talk | contribs) at 19:30, 24 August 2010 (rv bad faith revert by Zujine). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Shen Yun Performing Arts, formerly known as Divine Performing Arts, is a performing arts and entertainment company based in New York City. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance.

Founded in 2006, the Shen Yun troupe is often associated with the Falun Gong spiritual practice, and performances around the world are hosted by local Falun Dafa Associations. The show has been praised by Broadway critic Richard Connema, and criticised in The Guardian and other newspapers as promoting Falun Gong without saying so explicitly enough.

Content

Shen Yun shows feature traditional Chinese dance and song. Shows during 2008 in Denver were composed of sixty dancers, singers and musicians, though the size of each company varies. The acts are presented in both Chinese and the local language.

Shen Yun enacts three distinct forms of Chinese dance in its performances: classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance (for instance, dances of China's Dai and Mongolian ethnic minorities), and story-based dance, presenting classic Chinese stories such as the legend of Mulan.

The songs are in Chinese, but the lyrics, both in Chinese and the local language where the performance is being held, are projected onto a backdrop.

Show names

Initially the shows were titled "Chinese Spectacular", "Holiday Wonders", and "Divine Performing Arts", but now the company mostly performs under its own name "Shen Yun".

International touring

The group is composed of three performing arts companies: The New York Company, The Touring Company, and the International Company, which typically tour different parts of the world consecutively. Each year the Shen Yun Performing Arts show tours several countries, performing across Europe, North America, Oceania, and Asia. Shen Yun's shows have been staged in several leading stages, including New York’s Radio City Music Hall, London’s Royal Festival Hall, Washington DC’s Kennedy Center, and Paris’ Le Palais de Congrès The Chinese embassy in the United States accused NTDTV and Shen Yun Performing Arts of being used to "spread anti-China propaganda" and "distorting Chinese culture".

In late January 2010, the government of Hong Kong refused entry visas for members of the production crew for the troupe's performances scheduled between 27 and 31 January, saying that "work visas were considered case by case", and said the applicant generally had to offer expertise not easily found locally; the troupe cancelled the performances which it claimed to have been sold out. Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho said the denial of the visas was a worrying new erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms, and damaged the reputation of Hong Kong as a liberal and open society.

Reception

The San Francisco Chronicle, Denver Post and San Francisco Bay Times billed the show positively, the Chronicle exploring scenes in the performance depicting Falun Gong. Richard Connema, San Francisco critic for Talkin' Broadway, was interviewed by the Falun Gong-affiliated NTDTV and described the Shen Yun performance as "absolutely fantastic," and gave it five stars. Opera Online described one performance as "simply astounding to watch and a pleasure to the ear."

Other reviewers have said that past Shen Yun shows were not advertised explicitly enough as being inspired by Falun Gong philosophy, yet contained scenes depicting the persecution of its practitioners in China: a heavily critical piece in The New York Times in 2008 raised these objections about allegedly misleading promotion; while similar opinions were put forward by the Daily Telegraph, the Toronto Star, and The Guardian. The Telegraph's reviewer described the "politically motivated" content as "propaganda as entertainment," while the others echoed those sentiments. A reviewer of the Buffalo News also argued that the show misrepresented itself in its promotion efforts.

See also

• Dance in the United States
• Falun Dafa
• Epoch Times

References

1. "Mission". Retrieved 15 November 2009. The Mission statement of Shen Yun Performing Arts
2. ^ Wesnousky, Jennifer (16 February 2007). "NTDTV's Chinese New Year Spectacular". Explore Dance. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
3. ^ "International Incident". The Pacific Northwest Inlander. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
4. ^ Hunt, Mary Ellen (4 January 2009). "Chinese New Year Spectacular in S.F., Cupertino". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
5. ^ Wenzel, John (1 October 2007). "Chinese New Year embracing tradition". The Denver Post. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
6. ^ "Theater Critic Calls DPA 'Mind-Blowing'". The Epoch Times. 10 January 2009.
7. ^ Mackrell, Judith (25 February 2008). "Dance review: Shen Yun Royal Festival Hall, London". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
8. ^ Crompton, Sue (25 February 2008). "Shen Yun: Propaganda as entertainment". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
9. ^ Susan Walker (Falun) Gong New Year event mere propaganda, The Toronto Star, 20 January 2008
10. ^ Goodwyn, Albert (11 January 2007). "Chinese New Year Spectacular". San Francisco Bay Times. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
11. Higgins, Beau (15 November 2007). "'Holiday Wonders' Chinese Meets West Extravaganza". Broadway World. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
12. "Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World tour special coverage". Epoch Times. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
13. "Enjoy the Holidays and Stay away from the so-called "Chinese New Year Gala" of the New Tang Dynasty Television". Chinese Embassy in the United States of America. 7 January 2008.
14. Falungong decries HK as democracy row deepens, SinChew.com 27 January 2010 (AFP)
15. "Boston welcomes Year of the Dog with Gala multi-cultural celebration at Cutler Majestic". Opera Online. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
16. Konigsberg, Eric (6 February 2008). "A Glimpse of Chinese Culture That Some Find Hard to Watch". The New York Times.
17. Dabkowski, Colin (30 May 2010). "Song & dance spectacular not exactly what it seems". Buffalo News. Retrieved 21 June 2010.

External links

• Shen Yun Performing Arts

• Falun Gong
• Dance in the United States
• Entertainment companies of the United States
• Companies based in New York
• Companies established in 2006