New York based Shen Yun Performing Arts, which has consistently faced pressure from Beijing, performed to a full house in Claremont, California, after the venue was evacuated due to a bomb threat that turned out to be false.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company that tours globally, received a bomb threat hours before its last performance at Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium in Claremont, California.
Shen Yun’s mission is to present thousands of years of traditional Chinese civilization that existed prior to the Chinese Communist Party’s takeover.
The threat email marked one of around 100 targeting the company since last year, aiming to disrupt Shen Yun’s performances.
Though the investigation delayed the performance by about 20 minutes, no theatergoers complained about the wait, staffers at the box office said.
In the packed theater, as the emcee thanked the audience for their patience, saying they’d remain steadfast amid the ongoing intimidation, the spectators broke into applause.
Linda Ross, a first-time viewer of the show, said it was an “honor” to see the performance.
“It’s a shame that something like this has to happen,” she told The Epoch Times about the bomb threats while waiting to enter the auditorium. She had heard about many similar threats prior to coming to the performance, she added.
“This would never stop me to want to see this show.”
John Garcia, who stood next to her, said the disruption didn’t bother him at all.
Shen Yun is “a beautiful show,” he told The Epoch Times.
“They’re sharing a message,” he said, and “it shouldn’t be suppressed.”
Shen Yun, founded in upstate New York in 2006, said it believes the email threat was part of a campaign directed by the CCP, after experiencing many other forms of disruption efforts linked to the Chinese regime.
Around an hour before the Claremont show was due to start, security officers observed an Asian man with a camera hanging from his neck. The man, wearing black, stood across the road from the Shen Yun tour bus and took photos, the officers said. He ran off when security approached him.
The show organizers in Los Angeles said they are looking at legal options to address the threats.
Joseph Bodner, a retired detective sergeant from the nearby Redlands city, said he appreciated the performers’ artistry.
“It was just the absolute precision,” he told The Epoch Times after the performance. “I’ve never seen anything quite like that.”
In the battle over values, Bodner said, bad actors tend to intimidate through fear. He’s optimistic that “good is always going to triumph over evil.”
Bill Petro, another attendee, said he was still incredulous at how close the intimidation tactics had gotten to being effective.
“I cannot believe that people are so cruel, but they were trying to do anything to stop this,” he told The Epoch Times, adding that the performance presents the reality in China.
His biggest takeaway from the show was freedom—the importance of “being free,” he said.
