Shen Yun Dance Company Under Investigation For Visa Fraud, Labor Issues, and More

Touring dance group Shen Yun Performing Arts is under criminal investigation for possible visa fraud, labor issues, and more, The New York Times reports.

The group, run by the Falun Gong religious movement, was previously investigated last year for exploiting young performers by making them work long hours and paying them little to nothing.

A former performer has filed a lawsuit accusing the company of forced labor and human trafficking, and an inquiry has been made into whether the group has complied with state labor laws. Investigations are underway into the company's financial and labor practices, including whether performers smuggled cash into the United States.

Ying Chen, a representative for Shen Yun, said that the company intends to "cooperate fully" with any investigations and will comply with “all applicable laws.”

The Shen Yun dance group performs around the world delivering the anti-Communist message of Falun Gong,  as well as the spiritual teachings of Li Hongzhi, the religious movement’s founder and leader who also oversees the group's training. Falun Gong’s headquarters is located in Cuddebackville, N.Y., and it includes a boarding school and college where Shen Yun’s performers can live and study.

Further criminal inquiries are looking into whether the group's leaders arranged romantic relationships for its performers. The Times reported in August that Shen Yun’s leaders reportedly tried to set up foreign students with American citizens for visa purposes. Male and female performers in Shen Yun were allegedly not allowed to speak to one another outside of work purposes, and dating required permission from Shen Yun’s leaders.

Regarding the labor laws, representatives of Shen Yun and Falun Gong have said that state and federal laws do not apply to their student performers because they are receiving a learning opportunity, not working as employees. The group also holds on to students’ passports for safekeeping, but have stated that they "always return the passports when requested."

Shen Yun reported $266 million in assets at the end of 2023, and its current world tour began in December and is scheduled to travel to five continents, ending in May.

Read the original story on The New York Times. 

About Shen Yun

According to the company's website, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, which showcases "a revival of the beauty and goodness of China before communism." The performance features stories and legends, vibrant costumes and backdrops, original music and a few fun surprises.

The company is based in New York and its artists come from all over the world, and in fact, their performance is banned in China. The company's stagecraft features patented technology and their orchestra is the first in the world to combine classical Chinese and western instruments as permanent members.