Natalie Nagorski '20 presents her certificate project, "Theatrical Show Produced By Spiritual Group Aims to Show Horrors of the Chinese Communist Party - An Investigation of the Shen Yun Dance Company and Falun Gong," during the Program in Journalism's Senior Colloquium.
At the end of my freshman year, I attended a performance of the Shen Yun Dance Company in Burlington, Vermont for my final project in an international reporting seminar. I was familiar with Shen Yun largely because of their extensive advertising campaign, but I was curious about what the performance entailed. Much to my surprise, the piece explored many contemporary political themes that seemed to fall outside of the brand that Shen Yun showcases in its advertising. The more I read, the more I learned about the ties between the dance troupe and the Falun Gong movement.
