Two former Shen Yun dancers allege forced child labor, brutal conditions in lawsuit
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Shen Yun, a performing arts group that tours worldwide and is known for its contentious relationship with the Chinese government, has been accused of forced child labor in a lawsuit brought forth by two former dancers.
The suit was filed last month in a federal district court in New York on behalf of Sun Zan, 32, and Cheng Qing Ling, 28. In a recent interview with NPR, Sun and Cheng said they felt isolated from their families, too afraid to speak up and endured both physical and psychological harm. To this day, they said they are recovering from the physical and emotional toll of their childhood.
The complaint itself alleges that children as young as 13 years old worked grueling 15-hour training schedules at least six days a week, in exchange for little pay and inadequate education. The suit also claims that workers lived under a culture of fear and routinely performed while injured.
A similar suit accusing the dance company of abuse was filed by another former dancer back in November 2024. Both lawsuits came after a New York Times investigation last summer that looked into the Shen Yun enterprise and its treatment of young performers. Both Sun and Cheng were interviewed in the Times’ story.
Shen Yun has vehemently denied the allegations detailed in the Times’ investigation and lawsuits that have followed. In a statement to NPR, the group firmly rejected that dancers were mistreated or denied medical care, adding that it operates “with integrity” and “committed to upholding the highest artistic and ethical standards.”
When asked why he felt compelled to pursue legal action, Sun told NPR, “ I just want to be the person that should have been there when I was a kid.”
Content retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/13/nx-s1-5374934/shen-yun-lawsuit-dancers-child-labor.
