“The Philosophy That Dare Not Speak Its Name”
by Cathy Barbash
Yesterday’s MusicalAmerica.com included a report that the Shen Yun Performing Arts, a so-called four-year-old Chinese traditional touring ensemble, had been forced to cancel its Hong Kong shows because several of its performers had been refused visas to Hong Kong. The company believed “that the visas were denied because some of the scenes depicted Chinese government brutality, and that some company members espoused “a philosophy at odds with communism.”
Of course they didn’t get visas! The producers and promoters of this show can be traced directly to the Falun Gong organization in New York, that’s why. The organization and practice of Falun Gong (think Chinese Christian Scientism, with a twist of politics)—is forbidden in China since the government believes it is a dangerous and anti-government cult. Other taboos include Tibet, Taiwan, and the direct criticism of the government. Any Chinese, whether at home or broad, or anyone with any exposure to China, for that matter, would know this.
These song and dance extravaganzas have been playing in East Coast cities for at least the last 5 years. They are obviously well funded, playing full week runs in Radio City Music Hall in New York and advertising widely on high-rent billboards. I wonder how much of their audience knows their back story, and if professional polls have been taken to determine what effect these performances have had on public opinion in America.