An ‘Army of Child Laborers’ Enriches Shen Yun, Ex-Dancers Say in Suit

Two former dancers for Shen Yun Performing Arts, the traditional Chinese dance company, filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing the group of amassing a financial fortune and worldwide renown by subjecting an “army of child laborers” to brutal working conditions and psychological coercion.

The lawsuit by the former dancers, Sun Zan and Cheng Qingling, is at least the second civil action targeting the group and its leaders since The New York Times last year detailed the treatment of performers and financial practices at the arts company, an arm of the Falun Gong religious movement.

Federal criminal investigators have also been examining possible visa fraud at Shen Yun, and New York State has been investigating the group’s compliance with labor laws.

Advertising a glimpse into “China Before Communism,” Shen Yun performs hundreds of shows a year featuring acrobatic routines by performers in billowy outfits. The group also serves as a messaging platform for Falun Gong, promoting the teachings of its founder, Li Hongzhi, and portraying the Chinese government, which has banned and persecuted his followers, as evil.

Shen Yun accumulated $266 million in assets by 2023, the lawsuit says, while performers worked up to 15 hours a day in training and on a “crushing” tour schedule for little pay.

“The child laborers were paid generally no more than $500 a month — less than the price of a pair of orchestra seats at this year’s Lincoln Center performance,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Manhattan.