Calgary MP disagrees with Chinese dance troupe ban

Shen Yun Performing Arts told to find new Alberta venues in 2013 by the province

The fight over the Alberta government's decision to cancel bookings by a traditional Chinese performance troupe has prompted criticism from a Calgary MP.

The province has cancelled the 2013 bookings made by the Shen Yung Performing Arts group following a dispute with the managers of government-owned auditoriums in Calgary and Edmonton.

Conservative Rob Anders says it appears Alberta is caving to pressure from Beijing as Premier Alison Redford prepares for an upcoming trip to China.

Anders has long been an out-spoken critic of what he calls a "brutal regime" in Beijing. He's accusing the Alberta government of being afraid of offending China.

"I just think it's a shame that we're not allowing this to go forward and I do think it's an opportunity for the powers that be to demonstrate their belief in freedom of speech," he said.

In the past, the Chinese government has pressured venues in other countries to cancel or delay Shen Yung Performing Arts events because the troupe highlights Chinese persecution of the spiritual movement of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa.

The Falun Dafa Association of Calgary presents Shen Yun's Calgary performances.

 

 More at CBC

Letter: Why Shen Yun is banned from Calgary Jube is not rocket science

Dear Editor,

Did the Calgary Herald forget to mention in their May 24 article entitled "Minister denies pressure from China"  that Shen Yun has been the target of a string of sabotage attempts from Beijing's long arm to cancel Shen Yun shows in  major cities  around the globe--and particularly in 2009 and 2008 when the Chinese Consulate blocked Calgary Shen Yun sponsors (CBC).  It is utterly outrageous to learn that this dance company got barred from Calgary and Edmonton Jubes simply for speaking out. Seriously, how can we ignore the elephant in the room when it comes to Shen Yun?  It's a well known secrete that those expat artists are on the Chinese regime most hated hit list. The  poor treatment from the Jube and their unwillingness to openly resolve the issues at hand after 3 years deserved to hit the media. The overzealous response alone from the Alberta Minister of Culture is proof enough that something unusual is at play here and denial is not going to cut it. Let's not get fooled again! Communist China is doing a little bit more than just watching. Paging Dick Fadden!


Marie Beaulieu
Victoria, BC

Letter: Temper tantrum over Shen Yun spat in Calgary

Re: "Jubilee spat goes public," Herald Online, May 18.

Dear Editor: I am appalled after reading of Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk's handling of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Group. The way she has treated this Chinese troupe is likely to remind them more of their totalitarian native land than our beloved democratic Alberta.

Klimchuk has taken the stance (much like the Chinese Communist Party) that "if you criticize me, I will make you disappear." Isn't her job to cultivate and support culture in this province? How are we supposed to build and improve culture with a minister who is completely unable to take constructive criticism?

The Jubilee Auditorium is a government-owned theatre. I would expect my tax dollars would go toward keeping the venue at the highest standard to ensure we can continue hosting world-class performances.

For Klimchuk to have a tantrum and block a company from returning after they brought legitimate concerns to her is infantile and unprofessional.

I saw Shen Yun in Edmonton this year and the experience blew me away. I was brought to tears many times during the show; it was so moving. One piece in the show told the story of two Chinese people who had the courage to resist persecution and violent suppression in China by the Chinese Communist Party.

I don't think they should tolerate it in Alberta, either.

Justina Wheale, Wetaskiwin

Read more: Calgary Herald

Host of Shen Yun calls on Premier to intervene

Host of Shen Yun calls on Premier to intervene and revoke Minister's decision to cancel shows at the Jubilee Auditorium and work toward a resolution

MWC: Calgary – The local host of Shen Yun is calling on Premier Allison Redford to intervene:to revoke the Alberta Culture Minister's decision to cancel the shows at the Auditoria, that the Alberta government not give in to foreign influence by the Chinese Communist government, and act committedly to resolve this issue in the interest of Albertans and the Province.

As the organizers of the performances by Shen Yun in Calgary, which Culture Minister Heather Klimchuck noted enjoys a “tremendous reputation” in Alberta, the Falun Dafa Association of Calgary was dismayed by the poor behaviour of the theatre management towards Shen Yun over the last three years, and the unwillingness on the part of both senior theatre management and the minister’s office to meet and address its concerns.

However, the recent conduct of Minister Klimchuck in response to the group’s concerns being made public is really beyond the pale and calls into question whose interests the Minister is serving.
Calgary local host of Shen Yun brought to light serious and valid concerns with the conduct of management at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, and did so only after nearly a dozen failed attempts over the last three years to meet with the Minister, and after repeatedly being rudely rebuffed by theatre management, including Ms. Katherine Huising.

Minister Klimchuck responded to the publication of the concerns not by finally agreeing to take the time to meet with the group, but by scolding the group for having raised the matter publicly, cancelling Shen Yun performance in Calgary, and further punishing Shen Yun organizers by cancelling the confirmed dates for the Shen Yun performances in Edmonton (which are hosted by a separate organizer, no less). Moreover, the minister went further by misleading the public in interviews about the nature of the concerns and about the communication the group had had with her office—suggesting the group had not tried first to meet personally with her, when in fact we had made numerous requests.

“This is not the conduct of someone fit to lead the Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit, and accordingly we are calling on the premier to intervene in the matter and to work with us to resolve it,” said Jenny Yang, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa association of Calgary.

“Minister Klimchuck’s conduct also makes less convincing her assertion that there is “no linkage whatsoever” between her actions and pressure received from the Chinese consulate in Calgary,” said Yang,  “We were made aware that the minister’s office had received pressure to end our show in Calgary. Since that time the treatment by management towards Shen Yun and our association has rapidly deteriorated. On several occasions, management has encouraged us to cancel our show, and the Minister has now taken that step herself”.

“Minister Klimchuck’s behaviour is not that of someone who genuinely wants to resolve this issue in the interest of the public and all involved. She appears eager to put a stop to a show that even she acknowledges has a great reputation among Albertans,” said Jenny Yang. “Who is Minister Klimchuck pleasing? It doesn’t benefit the Jubilee. And it doesn’t help the image of Alberta as a cultural destination. The thousands of Albertans who enjoy Shen Yun each year can’t’ be pleased either. Probably the only ones pleased to see the show cancelled are representatives of the Chinese consulate in Calgary. Actually this is exactly what the Chinese consulate wants.”

The Chinese Consulate in Calgary has actively sought to interfere with the Shen Yun performances here, and in 2008 Tourism Calgary notably caved into pressure and withdrew its sponsorship.

“We are calling on Premier Allison Redford to show that the Alberta government will not similarly give in to foreign influence and is committed to to resolve this issue in the interest of Albertans and the Province,” said Yang.

Please note the below breakdown of misconceptions communicated by the Culture Minister and her office in recent interviews with the media. 

Fact sheet clarifying misconception about the matter

Misconception:Pressure from the Chinese Consulate in Calgary has played no role in Jubilee’s attitude towards Shen Yun
Fact:Shen Yun’s problems with the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium started in 2010, after  the diplomatic pressure from the People’s Republic of China on the Alberta government to cancel Shen Yun.
In the Calgary Herald, Heather Klimchuk dismissed this notion, saying it had “no linkage whatsoever” to her decision to cancel the performance.
However, it is a fact that the efforts the Calgary Falun Dafa Association or Shen Yun made since 2010 to meet with either the Minister of Culture or Jubilee management about our concerns, both the Minister of Culture and Jubilee management had only one reply: which was to suggest Shen Yun could cancel their shows and seek other venues. This response did not come after discussion or negotiation; it has been the only response put forth by Jubilee management or the Minister of Culture to resolve our concerns. This is a highly abnormal way for a professional organization to treat its clients and it is does raise valid questions about whether they are under outside pressure.
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Misconception:Shen Yun is bringing a private issue to the public
Fact:The Jubilee Auditorium is owned and operated by the provincial government. Therefore, the operation of this venue is an issue in public interest.
The Globe and Mail quoted Marie Iwanow, communications director for Alberta’s Culture Ministry as saying, “We do consider this a private matter with a client… So it’s unfortunate maybe that they chose to express their concerns through the news media.”
In fact, we have made numerous requests over the last three years for a meeting to address our concerns, and on every occasion we were rebuffed. Only when the poor treatment by theatre management escalated and we saw no willingness on the part of the government to address these concerns did we bring the matter to the public.
In fact, the Minister of Culture directly oversees the Jubilee Auditorium. It is a government owned and taxpayer-subsidized institution and is therefore accountable to the public. If a client of the Jubilee chooses to raise an issue with Jubilee management to the public, this is an above board action. The idea that we should only communicate our concerns in secret with the provincial government is wrong.
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Misconception:The Calgary Falun Dafa Association did not give the Jubilee or the government time to respond to its complaints
Fact:The Calgary Falun Dafa Association has tried to book appointments to meet with the Minister of Culture for three years.
The CBC quoted Heather Klimchuk as saying, “When we have a situation like this it’s really important to resolve this through the channels first.”
In nearly a dozen attempts to meet with the minister of culture over three years, each attempt was ignored or rebuffed. In our view, the ministry of culture has had many opportunities to respond to our complaints.
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Misconception:The relationship between Shen Yun and the Jubilee has deteriorated to the point it cannot be resolved.
Fact:The Calgary Falun Dafa Association is asking that the Minister of Culture apologize to Shen Yun, invite them to return, and remove the orchestra pit safety net for future Shen Yun performances. We feel that these are all reasonable requests and if they were met our issues would be resolved.
Furthermore, in Heather Klimchuk’s letter to the Calgary Falun Dafa Association she stated that she felt the relationship between her department and us had deteriorated to the point it could not be resolved. However, since the Minister of Culture has never met or talked with us, we feel it is presumptuous to say that our relationship is unsalvageable. We remain committed to resolving the issues and only hope for the government to step forward on its side and show a willingness to do the same.
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Misconception:Shen Yun is asking for apology about a safety net
Fact:Shen Yun has never asked for an apology about the net, only a chance to negotiate its removal given that it is highly obtrusive and unlike any other in the more than 100 theatres Shen Yun has performed.
The Calgary Herald quoted Heather Klimchuk as saying, “I'm not going to apologize for the safety of performers or musicians at either Jube.” Ms. Klimchuck is either demonstrating that she still has not understood our request or she is intentionally misleading the public.
In fact Shen Yun has never asked for an apology about the net, they’ve only asked to negotiate the removal the net. Even the government’s Northern Jubilee theatre has no such net—making the minister’s complete unwillingness to have a reasonable discussion on the matter all the more unusual.
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Misconception:Shen Yun is asking for apology about technical errors
Fact:The Calgary Falun Dafa Association is asking that the Jubilee apologize for any disrespectful and unprofessional treatment towards Shen Yun
In response to this request, Heather Klimchuk said in the Calgary Herald that an investigation had been undertaken and that, “we were satisfied that everything is fine.” She went on to say, “I know how hard they work in both Jubilees and I'm very proud of my team.”
The Calgary Falun Dafa Association has highlighted a few examples of technical errors, such as a lighting error, but was not asking for apologies about these specific issues. We asked for an apology because Jubilee management did not take these errors and other transgressions seriously and were rude, dismissive and arrogant when confronted with them.
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Misconception:The Jubilee Auditorium has complaints about Shen Yun
Fact:The Metro newspaper reported that Marie Iwanow, spokesperson for the Minister of Culture, said that complaints involving both parties date back to 2010.  However, neither Shen Yun nor our association have been notified of any of the supposed complaints directed toward us. If there were complaints that the Minister deemed relevant, it would seem only reasonable to communicate those to us such that we might address them. We are particularly interested in knowing of any complaints as we are aware of past efforts by the Chinese regime to disrupt Shen Yun shows by complaining to theatres in the name of concerned members of the public.

Letter: Shen Yun and the elephant in the room

Dear Editor,

I don't think we can ignore the elephant in the room much longer when it comes to Shen Yun. After a string of sabotage attempts from Beijing's long arm to cancel Shen Yun shows in major cities around the globe--and particularly in 2008 when the Consulate blocked Calgary Shen Yun sponsors (CBC report)--it is utterly outrageous to learn that this dance company would get barred from Calgary and Edmonton venues simply for speaking out. The poor treatment from the Jube and their unwillingness to openly resolve the issues at hand after 3 years deserved to hit the media. The bullying response alone from the Alberta Minister of Culture is proof enough that something unusual is at play here. Let's not get fooled again! Communist China is doing a bit more than just watching here.

Marie Beaulieu
Victoria BC

Local host of Shen Yun Performing Arts says Minister acted punitively

CALGARY—Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Community Services, Heather Klimchuk, responded to recent complaints of professional misconduct at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium by canceling future performances by internationally acclaimed Shen Yun Performing Arts.

The Calgary Falun Dafa Association, who is the presenting organization of Shen Yun in Calgary, raised the complaints in an April 16 news release.  In a response addressed to the group, Klimchuk said that she was concerned that the presenters brought complaints to the public, and concluded that she would cancel previously booked performances in both Calgary and Edmonton.

Jenny Yang, a spokesperson for the presenting organization said, “The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium is a taxpayer-funded venue whose purpose is to serve the public and enrich the cultural experience of Albertans. When a world-class arts company feels that it can no longer perform in Calgary due solely to the conduct of auditorium management, we believe that is an issue in the public interest. We informed the media of the situation only after our repeated requests for meetings failed.”

“That the Minister would act punitively against us for raising a public issue to the media is unbecoming of someone in her position. This is all the more true of performances in Edmonton, which are hosted by our sister organization, and where there are no complaints concerning the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun has performed to audience acclaim in hundreds of cities internationally since its founding in 2006, and has graced the stages of the world’s most prestigious theaters and opera houses. The company’s mission is to revive the essence of China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture through classical Chinese dance and music. It has performed annually at the government-owned Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium since 2007, where its performances have been consistently well received.

Since 2010, however, Shen Yun management has been dismayed by a marked deterioration in the professionalism and conduct of auditorium staff. These developments coincided with revelations that the consulate of the People’s Republic of China had sought to disrupt the performance by applying diplomatic pressure on the government of Alberta.

During its April 2012 performances in particular, the shows were marred by a glaring technical malfunction, as well as an incident where a male stage crew member opened the door of a loading dock that revealed the female change room area, exposing undressing female dancers to several male crew members. When confronted over these and other lapses, auditorium management was condescending and unapologetic. For several years, the theater has also refused to compromise on the placement of an intrusive orchestra pit safety net that impedes the performance.

The Falun Dafa Association of Calgary requested a meeting with the Minister of Culture several times in 2010 to resolve concerns about the safety net. Since 2010, the local presenters have documented nearly a dozen attempts to request a meeting with the Minister about other issues. In all cases the Minister of Culture either ignored or declined the meeting request. The presenters again contacted the Minister’s office in April 2012 to resolve the recent issues, but did not receive a reply. Finally, the Falun Dafa Association presented its cause in a media release outlining our concerns, and also contacted elected representatives for assistance.

In media interviews that followed, theater management indicated that they would resolve the matter privately with the presenter. However, we received no correspondence from either the theater or the Minister of Culture.

When the Minister inquired about the company’s complaints with the Jubilee Auditorium, she concluded that because the presenters had raised their complaints in the media “we may have missed an opportunity to resolve these issues efficiently and effectively.”

“The Government of Alberta should be accountable for what happened in the theatre. We have been requesting a meeting with officials in the ministry for years to address our valid concerns but have been ignored. We felt we had no choice but to raise these issues with the public,” said Yang. “We are requesting that the Southern Jubilee Auditorium apologize to Shen Yun for the misconduct, invite them to return, and to remove the net over the orchestra pit for future performances.”

The Falun Dafa Associations of both cities call on the Minister to act on the interests of Albertans and work toward a resolution on this issue, such that the people of Alberta may continue to enjoy the experience of Shen Yun Performing Arts.

More: MWC