What is the Shen Yun Performing Arts group? All about the mysterious Chinese dance group

Shen Yun Performing Arts Group is a traditional Chinese dance company that was founded in 2006. They are known for their larger-than-life dance performances, which involve the reenactment of historical occurrences or mythological stories from Chinese history.

The company's headquarters are in New York and attract thousands of potential students who go through rigorous training before touring all over the world.

The dance group is affiliated with the Falun Gong religious movement, but the leaders of the company have been accused by several former students of creating a harsh work environment with little to no pay.

More about the Shen Yun Performing Arts group

Shen Yun Performing Arts group is deeply connected to the Falun Gong or Falun Dafa religious movement. Li Hongzhi founded the religious movement in China in the 1990s, and later migrated to the US due to a nationwide crackdown in China against the followers of the religion, which was described as a cult. Soon after Hongzhi arrived in the US, the Falun Gong religion experienced a surge in the number of followers.

According to the Shen Yun website, Falun Gong combines teachings of "self-improvement and meditation exercises."

"The teachings are centered on three main principles of truth, compassion, and forebearance. Shen Yun's artists practice Falun Dafa, and it is thee source of inspiration for all our performers" reads their website.

According to Shen Yun's website, the dance company was born after Chinese artists came together to revive the lost traditional Chinese dance form, which shares similarities with traditional Chinese martial arts.

A part of their website reads:

"They created Shen Yun. As their art form, they chose classical Chinese dance, which is so expressive it speaks a universal language. They established Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and Fei Tian College to train future generations, and brought onboard in-house choreographers and composers."

Another section further reads:

"It’s more than just a performance—it’s a revival of the beauty and goodness of China before communism. With stories and legends, vibrant costumes and backdrops, original music and a few fun surprises—it’s an experience that will delight your senses, inspire your heart, and just leave you feeling great."

Shen Yun performances are accompanied by a live orchestra combining Western instruments with traditional Chinese musical instruments like erhu and pipa, thus creating a unique blend of sound rarely attempted before.

The vibrant costumes worn by performers during the two-hour-long dance performances are inspired by traditional Chinese clothing, drawing from different mythologies, dynasties, folklore, and the "unique attire of over 50 minority groups that live in China."

But in 2024, a woman named Chang Chun-Ko, a former student, filed against the Fei Tian Academy of Arts. The lawsuit against the dance company alleged that Shen Yun created an atmosphere of exploitation and fear. The lawsuit also claimed that students were not allowed to seek medical attention in the event of injuries or ill health.

Shen Yun and Falun Gong have denied the allegations. A representative for both said in a statement:

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Sure, some people leave because it’s not for them, and that’s perfectly fine. But the vast majority of students will tell you this is their dream come true, and the parents rave about the positive changes in their children.”

The allegations against Shen Yun Performing Arts group also state that the young students were not allowed to leave the premises of the "400-acre guarded academy" in upstate New York and were only allowed to see their parents once, "during a two-week summer break."

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