By OBBM Network Editorial Staff

Derived from an episode of Church and State.

Why does a dazzling Chinese dance troupe touring the United States face bomb threats, legal attacks, and a media onslaught? Steve Lance, executive producer of the documentary Unbroken, explains how Shen Yun, rooted in the Falun Gong faith, has become a flashpoint in the Chinese Communist Party’s global campaign against dissent.

Shen Yun’s Cultural Mission and Its Roots in Falun Gong

Shen Yun Performing Arts presents a vision of “China before communism,” using classical dance, music, and storytelling to showcase a civilization spanning five millennia. The troupe was founded in the United States by practitioners of Falun Gong, a meditation discipline that surged in popularity in China during the early 1990s before being labeled an “evil cult” by the Chinese government. Lance notes, “The Chinese Communist Party has taken a particularly nefarious interest in this group and has gone to great lengths to really stifle and disturb and undermine their message.”

When the CCP cracked down on Falun Gong in 1998, arresting millions and subjecting practitioners to torture and forced organ harvesting, many fled abroad. In America, they leveraged First Amendment protections to create Shen Yun as a cultural and advocacy platform, aiming to raise awareness of both religious persecution and the loss of traditional Chinese heritage.

The Documentary’s Dual Narrative: Artistry and Investigation

“Our film has sort of two tracks,” Lance explains. “One is a human interest track where we learn about the process of these Olympic‑caliber performers and artists, and also an investigative track where we explore particularly the New York Times, which has written about twelve hit pieces targeting this group and how it aligns directly with the Chinese Communist Party’s line.” The investigative portion examines coordinated smear campaigns, legal harassment, and even bomb threats that have accompanied Shen Yun performances in venues ranging from the Kennedy Center to theaters in Australia.

These threats, according to Lance, are not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy the CCP employs to silence dissent abroad. He describes the pattern as “legal warfare” where foreign nationals file lawsuits to drain resources and tarnish reputations, while state‑aligned media outlets amplify false narratives.

CCP Influence Operations on U.S. Soil

Lance’s background in investigative journalism at NTD, the sister outlet to The Epoch Times, informs his perspective on Chinese influence networks. He traces modern United Front tactics back to early 2000s student groups on American campuses, which later evolved into the Confucius Institutes. These entities, he says, “use covert and overt measures to influence our society” across topics such as Taiwan, Uyghur rights, and religious freedom.

The documentary positions Shen Yun as a case study of how the Party can leverage foreign institutions without direct violence, relying instead on propaganda, legal pressure, and coordinated media attacks. This blueprint, Lance argues, reveals a “variety of factors” that allow authoritarian regimes to shape narratives in democratic societies.

Historical Context: U.S. Policy Toward Communist China

During the conversation, Collier asks Lance why the United States historically backed Mao’s communist regime over the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai‑shek. Lance attributes the misstep to a “fundamental lack of understanding” of communism’s nature, noting that early optimism that engagement would spur capitalist reforms proved disastrously naive.

This historical misreading continues to echo today, as the documentary suggests that the same underestimation enables the CCP’s modern influence campaigns. By highlighting both past policy errors and present threats, the film urges viewers to reconsider how America safeguards its constitutional freedoms against foreign authoritarian pressure.

Overall, the discussion underscores the intersection of art, faith, and geopolitics, illustrating how a cultural performance can become a battleground for human rights and free expression. As Lance concludes, “If they just paid attention to history, they would realize that persecution only allows things to grow. If they largely ignored it, perhaps it dies off on its own.”

The full episode of Church and State is available on OBBM Network TV.