Sydney Theatre Hosts Chinese Dance Troupe Shen Yun Despite Threats

Sydney's theatre hosting the Shen Yun dance troupe says they will not be intimidated by any anonymous threats and that the publicity has actually increased interest in the show. Graeme Kearns, the chief executive of Foundation Theatres, stated that their job is to defend the right to tell stories about culture.

Earlier this week, the Gold Coast venue for the Shen Yun performances was forced to evacuate after a bomb threat. The next day, a similar threat also forced the evacuation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's official residence, The Lodge, in Canberra.

Despite these outrageous threats, Kearns says the theatre will not back down. "Our job in theatre is to absolutely defend the right to tell stories about culture," he said. "We won't be intimidated." Kearns believes the publicity around the threats has actually driven more interest in the Shen Yun performances.

Shen Yun is a New York-based dance company that claims to revive traditional Chinese culture. However, the group has faced criticism and opposition from the Chinese government, which sees the performances as a threat to its authoritarian rule. The Chinese Communist Party has sought to discourage and disrupt Shen Yun shows around the world.

Despite the challenges, Kearns says the theatre is committed to hosting the Shen Yun shows. "We have a responsibility to our audience and to the artform to ensure that these performances can go ahead," he said. "We won't be cowed by bullying tactics or empty threats."

The Shen Yun performances in Sydney are scheduled to run until March 5th. Kearns says the theatre has taken additional security measures to ensure the safety of the audience and performers. "We're not going to let these outrageous attempts at intimidation stop us from doing our job," he concluded.