Two ex-Shen Yun artists accuse the organization of enforced underage labor and harsh treatment in a court filing.
Shen Yun: A Global Dance Troupe at the Center of a Controversy
The performing arts company, Shen Yun, is making headlines for its contentious relationship with the Chinese government and accusations of mistreatment and forced labor. Two former dancers, Sun Zan and Cheng Qing Ling, have filed a lawsuit against the troupe in a New York federal court, alleging they suffered physical and emotional abuse as child performers.
In an interview with NPR, Sun and Cheng shared their experiences of living in fear, isolation, and undergoing grueling 15-hour training schedules while being paid little and receiving inadequate education. The complaint also claims that workers lived in a culture of fear and frequently performed while injured.
A similar lawsuit was filed by another former dancer in November 2024, following a New York Times investigation the previous summer that looked into Shen Yun's treatment of its young performers. Both Sun and Cheng were featured in the Times' story.
Shen Yun has consistently denied the allegations, claiming it maintains open communication with its performers, providing medical care, including physical therapy and rehabilitation, and taking its young dancers' education seriously. The company contends that students at its affiliated religious school consistently perform well on standardized tests.
Founded in New York in 2006, Shen Yun is a global dance group whose mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun is closely linked to the spiritual movement Falun Gong, which was founded in the 1990s and has faced persecution in China. As a result, practicing Falun Gong is banned in China. Since its inception, Shen Yun has toured in 36 countries and reached over a million people annually, performing in prestigious venues such as the Lincoln Center in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Following the lawsuits, Shen Yun has faced additional scrutiny, including a bomb threat at a performance at the Kennedy Center in February 2025. The source of the threat remains unclear, and the Kennedy Center was evacuated. A petition signed by over 1,550 individuals, including current and former performers and their family members, called for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate sources of alleged foreign influence targeting Shen Yun.
As of mid-May 2025, the lawsuits against Shen Yun are ongoing, and the outcomes remain to be seen.
- The community and general news have been abuzz with the ongoing controversy surrounding Shen Yun, a global dance troupe, and their relationship with the Chinese government.
- Amidst these allegations of mistreatment and forced labor, Shen Yun has asserted that they prioritize the health-and-wellness and mental-health of their performers, offering medical care and taking education seriously.
- The legal battle has expansion to include mental and physical wellbeing, crime-and-justice, and even international politics, as a petition signed by over 1,550 individuals calls for an investigation into potential foreign influence targeting Shen Yun.
- Despite Shen Yun's global influence, reaching millions annually in 36 countries, the future of the dance troupe remains uncertain in the face of legal disputes and increased public scrutiny.
