Kennedy Center staff were cleared to return to the building hours after a bomb threat caused them to evacuate late Thursday morning. The threat targeted Shen Yun performances there, according to a Kennedy Center spokesperson.

The controversial dance group is known for heavily advertising performances depicting “China before communism.” Its first performance at the Kennedy Center was scheduled for tonight, part of a 12-show run. “All performances are continuing as planned,” the spokesperson said.

A police spokesperson confirmed that D.C. police received a call reporting a bomb threat at the Kennedy Center at 10:44 a.m. The department’s Explosive Ordnance Division assisted U.S. Park Police, the spokesperson said.

Sgt. Thomas Twiname, a Park Police public information officer, confirmed they sent units there but declined to offer more details.

They included canine units spotted around the center.

Performers and service workers described a period of confusion as they huddled with their colleagues in cars and a nearby cafe.

Roughly 70 musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra were rehearsing for about half an hour before they were shuffled out by security.

Washington Ballet performers Charlize Villacorta, Mario Elefante and Francesco Messina arrived early to rehearse before their show’s opening night, only to receive evacuation texts and be told that rehearsal was canceled. They said they’re eager to perform

“Transcendance” tonight, whose themes of empowerment, diversity, inclusivity and individuality they said are needed in the current political moment.

Staffers received several text messages just before 11 a.m.

“Evacuate Kennedy Center, move to the Reach,” they read, referring to a separate complex on the Kennedy Center’s campus.

“Please remain in place at the REACH until further notice. Those who can leave campus WITHOUT entering the building should do so. The garage will be accessible soon.”

Televisions around the Kennedy Center glowed bright orange and displayed the words “Emergency alert” and “Evacuate.”

“Security acted swiftly, following existing protocols,” the Kennedy Center spokesperson said.

At 1:46 p.m., Kennedy Center staff received a text reading, “The building is now open and accessible. ALL CLEAR.”

Shen Yun Performing Arts is a touring performance group that has faced controversies in recent years, including a November lawsuit accusing the group of forced labor and trafficking. The dance group is tied to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, suppressed in China since the 1990s.

The New York Times last year interviewed dozens of performers who described poor treatment within the group. Representatives for Shen Yun and Falun Gong told the Times that those accounts distorted reality, and Shen Yun has said the lawsuit and other “false narratives” are part of political attacks by the Chinese government.

In a statement Thursday, Shen Yun said this bomb threat was the latest of many targeting their performances. “While all cases were reported to the police and the FBI, they have all been pranks meant to scare theaters and audience members,” the statement read, adding they come amid Chinese government pressure and negative news reports.

The Kennedy Center recently drew national attention after President Donald Trump expelled several of its board members and had the new board install him as chair, prompting event cancellations.