Countering CCP Propaganda Through Art: A Dancer’s Story

Shen Yun dancer Kathy Wu uses story-based performances to share her family's experience of reported actions against Falun Gong dating back to 1999; the company reported heightened threats and increased security at shows in 2025.

Kathy Wu, a principal dancer with Shen Yun Performing Arts, uses story-based dance to share a family history linked to reported actions by the Chinese Communist Party against Falun Gong. Her grandmother returned to China as the government crackdown began in 1999 and family members later reported she was detained and died after repeated periods of detention. In 2025 Shen Yun said it faced an escalating campaign to silence the company, and Wu described frequent bomb-threat hoaxes that led to added theater security. Wu and her colleagues aim to use performance to show personal accounts that they say are censored in China. Key reported facts: - Human rights groups and international media report that in 1999 the Chinese government launched a nationwide campaign against Falun Gong, and that restrictions and arrests have continued since then. - Wu’s family members reported that her grandmother was arrested, sent to a labor camp, and later died after repeated detention and health decline. - Shen Yun and Wu say the company experienced intensified efforts to silence its performances in 2025, including frequent bomb-threat hoaxes that required coordination with theaters and local law enforcement. - Wu uses dance to convey these personal and historical accounts, and audience feedback cited in the article says many people learned about the situation through the performances. Summary: The article reports that Shen Yun is using artistic performance to bring attention to family stories tied to reported state actions against Falun Gong and that security concerns for performances rose in 2025. Undetermined at this time.