Sometimes, our free press does a wonderful job of providing nuanced context when it comes to oppressed groups, yet their provision of context appears to be selective. A series of recent articles on the Shen Yun Performing Arts group are a prime example. 

As a native English-speaking parent of two young dancers who have performed with Shen Yun since 2018, and a survivor of wrongful imprisonment in China for being a human rights advocate, it would seem that I would be an obvious potential interviewee for the New York Times report, which claims to be extensive. However, to my knowledge, the New York Times made no contact with me or other parents of students who currently perform with Shen Yun. 

Perhaps our personal experiences would be too positive to fit into their heavily slanted narrative, which paints a wholly misleading picture of life at Fei Tian, the main feeder school for Shen Yun. 

Like any elite performing arts school, Fei Tian is highly selective and many student applications are rejected. And those who are accepted naturally have to demonstrate continued dedication to their art. Basically, students have to want to participate or they don’t stay. 

Before applying, the students and their families are well aware that the training will be rigorous. Like in ballet, where wearing pointe shoes hurts, so many ballet dancers still choose to dance on pointe. The classical Chinese dance taught at Fei Tian doesn’t involve painful techniques like dancing on pointe, but the standards for athleticism are no less than those of elite ballet dancers. 

And like in all elite sports and arts, many simply aren’t cut out for it and some will choose to complain instead of being honest about their choices and level of ability. The NYT highlighted only complaints from former performers, entirely omitting the experiences of current ones, including my children and their friends.

Among multiple examples of distortion, the NYT emphasized their busy tour schedule, but failed to mention that the performers have significant break periods for rest and relaxation, including all-expenses-paid trips to tourist attractions like Universal Studios, the Swiss Alps, and the Louvre, as well as the best cuisines at some of the finest restaurants. Most people dream of the chance to be paid to travel the world, and the NYT completely misses the full picture of the well-rounded education my kids experience. 

Another glaring example of distortion is the NYT’s belittling of the beliefs of Falun Gong practitioners like myself. The ridiculous oversimplification and use of decontextualized anecdotes would be laughable if there weren’t so many lives at stake. As I write, the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Public Security is carrying out its June 2024 “strike on all fronts” campaign targeting Shen Yun and Falun Gong practitioners outside of China. This is an extension of a brutal campaign of suppression carried out by the Chinese regime into America.

This year, CCP agents threatened to kidnap and rape Shen Yun’s female dancers, of which one is my daughter, in a string of lethal threats targeting Shen Yun performers. There have also been multiple instances of Shen Yun bus tires being slashed with the intention of making the tires burst while in transit. And yet the NYT implies that Shen Yun is over-the-top for employing tight security, calling its training campus a “compound.” 

My kids love the artistry and expressive fluidity of classical Chinese dance and seeing the world on tour. Very few performing arts companies provide artists such an opportunity. They each made their own decision to audition, and through their own merit, and with my husband’s and my support, they were accepted, received full scholarships, trained hard, and were invited to tour with Shen Yun as part of practicum courses at their school. They have gained skills, friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime, and they have never looked back. And our family bond is as strong as ever.

While I know that not everyone’s experience will be the same as mine or my children’s, I know firsthand that my family’s experience with Shen Yun is not uncommon. There are so many other parents and families just like mine. It is simply very unfortunate that the New York Times made the choice to ignore us.

Kay Rubacek is an Australian born award-winning filmmaker and author, based in New York. Her family escaped communist regimes in Russia, China, and the former Czechoslovakia.