NEW YORK, New York — On March 24, a packed theater at AMC Lincoln Square in Manhattan gathered for the premiere of “Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun,” a documentary that explores the artistic mission of Shen Yun Performing Arts and the mounting pressure the company has faced amid what organizers and participants describe as a “campaign of transnational repression” linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its proxies.
Produced by NTD Television, the documentary traces how Shen Yun, founded in New York in 2006, grew into a global phenomenon dedicated to reviving traditional Chinese culture and presenting a unique vision of “China before communism.”
At the same time, the film highlights a darker parallel story, illustrating Beijing’s attempts to shut out an interpretation of Chinese culture and identity independent of CCP control. For years, Shen Yun and its performers, many of them escaping persecution in their homeland, have faced bomb threats and tire slashings to cyberattacks, disinformation, and other attempts to disrupt the company’s performances and intimidate those associated with it.
The screening also served as a celebration of Shen Yun’s 20th anniversary, bringing together performers, former dancers, family members, supporters, and elected officials for an evening that reflected on the company’s evolution and the challenges it has endured while continuing to perform in some of the most prestigious theaters and venues across the globe.
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Persevering through hardship
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According to executive producer Steve Lance, the project evolved far beyond its original scope, which was to document the CCP’s transnational repression against Shen Yun. But as the filmmakers followed performers, asked questions, and dug deeper, the story “took on a life of its own,” he said. What then emerged was not just an investigation into repression, but a portrait of endurance.
Shen Yun’s performers and staff are practitioners of Falun Gong, a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline also called Falun Dafa. The faith was immensely popular in China prior to being banned and subject to severe repression by the CCP starting in 1999.
Falun Gong adherents outside China, including those who founded Shen Yun, have persisted in efforts to clarify the truth about their faith and Beijing’s tyranny for the more than a quarter-century since. Many of them have personal experiences of the persecution, including jailing, torture, and separation from or the death of their loved ones.
“Here they are, 20 years later, unbroken,” Lance added.
That theme resonated deeply throughout the evening. During the event, New York City Council member Phil Wong presented proclamations recognizing Shen Yun’s milestone anniversary. Speaking about the company’s legacy, Wong praised the performers’ dedication and their role in preserving an art form that might otherwise have been lost. “They love what they do,” Wong said of Shen Yun. “They’ve done so much” to preserve traditional culture. “The choreography is just perfect.”
The red carpet itself reflected that artistic spirit, with Shen Yun dancers appearing in brightly colored handmade costumes inspired by China’s ancient dynasties. But behind the visual splendor was a more sobering message, one central to both the documentary and the discussion that followed.
A mission rooted in integrity
During a post-screening panel, Levi Browde, whose two sons, Jesse and Lucas, perform with Shen Yun, spoke candidly about the years of pressure surrounding the company and the broader implications of the campaign against it. “I was skeptical,” Browde said of whether such a complex and sensitive story could be captured properly on film.
He added, “Honestly, I saw what my boys go through, the dedication, what all their friends go through, and all these bomb threats, everything. I was skeptical that this story could be told properly … you guys did it.”
For Browde, the film was a success because it humanizes Shen Yun at a time when public curiosity has intensified and narratives about the company have become increasingly contested. “People are interested, they’re curious,” he said. “People can see who we really are, why we do what we do, [and] where these people are coming from.”
‘It was all worth it’
That sentiment was echoed by former Shen Yun dancer Allison Chen, who was part of a panel discussion segment during the event. Chen reflected on what it meant to watch the documentary in a theater setting after being away from the stage for a decade. “It makes me really ponder the journey that we’ve walked and all the hardships we’ve been through,” Chen said. “It was all worth it.”
She described the film as a deeply personal experience, one that felt akin to traveling through time. “I stopped dancing with Shen Yun 10 years ago and I’ve been off stage for the past 10 years, but I’ve been watching this company grow,” she said, “This documentary really just captured this whole journey.”
Chen said one of the most moving aspects of the film was being reminded that some performers and their loved ones have borne the pain of persecution far beyond the stage itself. “I have one friend who hasn’t been able to see her parents for many years now” due to the persecution of Falun Gong, Chen said. “She’s been able to push through, and I think it’s very difficult. If it were me, I don’t think I would be able to do that.”
Blooming from within
That sense of shared sacrifice and resilience also came through in remarks from current performers. One Shen Yun dancer, Roy Chen, who has been with the company for about 15 years, described the experience as formative both personally and professionally. Shen Yun, he said, helped transform him “from a very nervous person and introvert” to someone who’s confident and more outspoken.
Another performer, Shen Yun principal dancer Piotr Huang, stressed that the issues raised in the documentary should not be viewed as distant or irrelevant to Western audiences. “This could happen to anybody in any free country,” Huang said. “It looks like something that’s far away in another continent, but it’s coming to our living rooms.”
He said he hopes audiences see not only the threat but also the response. “At the same time, Shen Yun is showing people a model for how to stand up, how to have a spine,” Huang said. “It’s a story of human triumph, of sticking to what you believe is right.”
Tackling Communist China’s transnational repression
Throughout the panel discussion, Browde placed the CCP’s campaign against Shen Yun in a broader context, arguing that the pressure tactics seen in the film are part of a longer-running effort by Beijing to undermine American society and values that predates the company itself. He recounted years of intimidation, including theater pressure campaigns, sabotage, cyberattacks, surveillance, and proxy harassment.
“This could happen to anybody in American society,” Browde warned. “I think people don’t realize the degree of the infiltration of the CCP in our society and how this is a blueprint.”
But rather than dwelling on the challenges, the conversation returned to a more powerful theme: Shen Yun’s resilience and growth. Again and again, speakers returned to the idea that Shen Yun’s endurance over 20 years is itself the answer to those intimidation efforts by the CCP.
Paying it forward
Chen, now a former dancer but still committed to the company’s mission, summed up that feeling with joy and admiration. “I’m a fan of Shen Yun now,” she said. “They’re still holding onto their faith. They’re still doing what they’re doing despite however many threats that Beijing might push against them … no matter whatever hardship comes their way.”
That admiration extended to the company’s discipline and culture, which several speakers described as central to its longevity and success. Lance, reflecting on a rehearsal he witnessed at Lincoln Center, recalled the extraordinary physical discipline of the dancers.
As the evening drew to a close, speakers were asked what Shen Yun’s 20th anniversary meant to them. Together they formed a portrait of a company that views itself not simply as an arts organization, but as a community and cultural pillar built on faith, steadfast training, sacrifice, and conviction. For Chen, the milestone carried a profound sense of gratitude. For Browde, it represented a testament to moral courage.
For supporters in the audience, it was proof that Shen Yun’s mission has not been broken by pressure. And for those who filled the theater on March 24, “Unbroken” offered a message that extended beyond the stage: That culture and tradition, when rooted in conviction, can survive and thrive even in the face of unrelenting headwinds.
For more information on the film, please visit the official site here.
