An image of a dancer balancing on the words "China Before Communism" looms over Parisian commuters catching the morning metro, signalling the annual return of Shen Yun, a controversial spectacle of traditional Chinese dance mixed with vehement criticism of Beijing and conservative rhetoric.
The Shen Yun Performing Arts company has slipped the beliefs of a spiritual movement called Falun Gong in between its technicoloured visuals and leaping dancers since 2006, with advertising for the show so ubiquitous that it has become an internet meme in recent years.
