Uploaded September 2022 | Updated September 2026, 23 hours ago
"The human body is the most perfect in the universe. It is the most perfect form. The aliens want the human body." -Li Hongzhi, 1999
Nothing seems to match the viral marketing achieved by the Chinese dance troupe Shen Yun. But behind those billboards, what sort of performance is actually happening? And should we trust the artists just because they were kicked out of China in the 90s? In this video essay by Zach Barr (they/them), the secrets of Shen Yun's performance are revealed, as well as the history of how they, and their parent organization Falun Gong, came to be. And folks, it's so much weirder than you think it will be.
Music in this video is courtesy of John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions, and is used under a Creative Commons BY-NC license.
Bibliography: docs.google.com/document/d/1Pogp70LbJTRQ1P5bB5TLya_2dh9fmBcfC76dfSWcPP0/edit?usp=sharing
"And Now, They Sing" playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4vfdXUW5yrUATqDIsz1d5C8wDdewZflz
For suggesting topics: twitter.com/AdmiralZachBarr
For donations: ko-fi.com/admiralzachbarr
"The human body is the most perfect in the universe. It is the most perfect form. The aliens want the human body." -Li Hongzhi, 1999
Nothing seems to match the viral marketing achieved by the Chinese dance troupe Shen Yun. But behind those billboards, what sort of performance is actually happening? And should we trust the artists just because they were kicked out of China in the 90s? In this video essay by Zach Barr (they/them), the secrets of Shen Yun's performance are revealed, as well as the history of how they, and their parent organization Falun Gong, came to be. And folks, it's so much weirder than you think it will be.
Music in this video is courtesy of John Bartmann and Blue Dot Sessions, and is used under a Creative Commons BY-NC license.
Bibliography: docs.google.com/document/d/1Pogp70LbJTRQ1P5bB5TLya_2dh9fmBcfC76dfSWcPP0/edit?usp=sharing
"And Now, They Sing" playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4vfdXUW5yrUATqDIsz1d5C8wDdewZflz
For suggesting topics: twitter.com/AdmiralZachBarr
For donations: ko-fi.com/admiralzachbarr
![Low Budget Milky Whites [LIVE at BroadwayCon 2024]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m6EUYZNgxT4/mqdefault.jpg "Low Budget Milky Whites [LIVE at BroadwayCon 2024]
He wasn’t puppeteering her just yet; she was still inanimate. Then he tilted her head ever so slightly, and instantly there she was: imbued with life and seemingly quizzical — even if her big, almost teary eyes are really just beveled foam coated with clear epoxy that catches the light. Yeah, we’re best friends, said Kanagawa. -Laura Collins-Hughes, 2022
Of all the characters from “Into The Woods,” none have seen more…variation between productions than Jack’s beloved cow. The defunct Tumblr blog “Low Budget Milky Whites” catalogued a bestiary of staging choices: puppets, masks, facepaint, balloons, and more. But, funny as they are, what can these costumes teach us about the medium of theatre? Zach Barr (they/them) discusses the differences between Static and Dynamic Art, through the lens of the cow as white as milk.
Performed July 27, 2024 – LIVE at BroadwayCon 2024
Thank you to BroadwayCon and the Mischief Management staff for hosting me! This was my first time ever presenting And Now They Sing live, and it was a blast the whole way through. Special shoutout to the attendee who brought their own Milky White puppet and asked me to sign the udder afterwards – I missed your name but you made my whole weekend.")
