The stage show Shen Yun alleges it displays 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation through classical dance and opera. But in an RFI investigation, former dancers and followers of the Falun Gong movement behind the production describe a very different reality – of psychological coercion, untreated injuries and forced labour involving minors.

Concerns over medical care

Daily life at the academy followed a strict routine of studying Falun Gong texts, practising meditation exercises, dance training, classes and meals.

“It was very hard. We constantly pushed our limits,” Li said, adding that many students did not initially view the physical strain as abuse. “Because of the brainwashing we went through, we saw suffering as something positive that could eliminate our karmic debt.”

Other former dancers and visitors to Dragon Springs described a similar mindset.

“It was so deeply ingrained in us to reject Western medicine that our fragile minds told us we couldn’t go to the hospital,” one former dancer told RFI. “It would disappoint Master Li. It would be a sin.”

Similar allegations have surfaced in other investigations. In August 2024, The New York Times reported accounts from former Shen Yun performers describing intense training schedules, pressure to keep performing while injured and being discouraged from seeking medical care.

Several lawsuits filed since then have repeated accusations of forced labour involving minors.

RFI’s investigation, based on interviews with former dancers and followers of the Falun Gong movement behind the show, uncovered similar claims about life inside the organisation.

Shen Yun rejects accusations that it confined performers or restricted their communication.

The company provided a statement from its troupe doctor, Damon Noto, who said claims that medical treatment was discouraged or refused do not match what he has personally observed or what appears in his medical records.

Shen Yun also published a petition signed by 1,550 current or former performers describing the allegations as “gross distortions and false stories about our work, our faith and our way of life”.

Li Hongzhi’s teachings remain unclear on the question of medical treatment.

“Refusal of treatment is extremely common in the community. Some senior members have died because of it,” Yu Chao said.

Other former followers described similar beliefs within the movement.

“Li Hongzhi says with incredible confidence that only he can heal,” Gray added.

Total devotion

“People working on Falun Gong projects feel it is part of their divine mission,” Smithies said. “They devote 10, 12, 14 or even 16 hours a day, as much as they can.”

During certain periods he said he slept between three and five and a half hours a night.

Followers also contribute to the organisation’s economic activities. These include the newspaper Epoch Times, which reported $126 million in revenue in 2024, New Tang Dynasty Television and Shen Yun itself, which reported $290 million in assets the same year.

“Li Hongzhi built an empire thanks to free labour,” Smithies added. A former executive at Epoch Times, he said the people who sell tickets for the show in shopping centres receive no pay.

Believers and dancers also help with practical tasks around performances.

“Once the show is over, the Shen Yun performers turn into an army,” Gray explained. “Everyone has an assigned role to pack up and clear the venue.”