Utah, Feb. 24, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah health officials are working to dispel rumors connecting the Shen Yun dance troupe, which is visiting Salt Lake City this month, with the coronavirus, or COVID-19.
A tweet from the Utah Department of Health Monday morning said: “We are aware of several rumors regarding the Shen Yun dance troupe performances in SLC. We have investigated them and have no reason to believe that any members of the Shen Yun dance troupe are infected with COVID-19. These performances pose no risk to Utah residents. Additionally, Shen Yun is based out of New York and not China.”
“Many rumors related to COVID-19 circulating on social media are false or contain misinformation,” a subsequent tweet said. “Be skeptical of rumors that aren’t reported by reputable health organizations or mainstream media outlets. False and inaccurate social media posts can cause a great deal of harm.”
The troupe will be performing at the Eccles Theater at 131 S. Main St. on Feb. 25 and 26 and March 21-25.
The dance troupe also posted the following statement on its website:
With public concern about the coronavirus understandably high, some audience members have been asking whether the company is still scheduled to perform. Audience members are in for good news: Shen Yun is not from China and the performances will continue as scheduled.
Shen Yun is based in New York, not China. Performers have not been to China in years, have not had recent direct contact with people from China, and in fact Shen Yun is not even allowed to perform in China.
Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in the rolling hills of New York State with the mission of reviving five thousand years of traditional Chinese culture. Such a mission could only be undertaken outside of China. That is because in China the communist regime has spent the last 70 years trying to systematically destroy traditional culture, values, and the arts. It was in 2006 that a group of elite Chinese artists from around the world came together in New York and decided to bring back this lost culture and share it with the world. They established Shen Yun.
Although Shen Yun has since grown to tremendous worldwide success, the company has never actually been allowed to perform in China. In fact, the Chinese Communist Party, through its embassies and consulates around the world, has repeatedly tried to sabotage Shen Yun performances by writing letters to theaters asking them to cancel shows, and pressuring elected government officials in the United States, New Zealand, Germany, and many other countries. Its attempts have failed, however, and Shen Yun continues to successfully perform to great acclaim.
Shen Yun’s performers — dancers, musicians, as well as technical crew — all live and train in New York. As individuals, they are also banned from traveling to China, long ago having been blacklisted by the Chinese government for their involvement in Shen Yun. No performer has been back to China in years.
And so audience members can enjoy Shen Yun performances resting assured that Shen Yun and its performers have been isolated from today’s China. What Shen Yun brings to the audience are the genuine traditions, stories, dance, and music of ancient China, the very best from traditional China.
We look forward to sharing the performances with you!
For more information on Shen Yun tickets click here.
