On November 4, 2025, the website of North Cobb High School in Georgia, USA (Nchschant.com) published an article titled "The Truth Behind Shen Yun," exposing the true nature of the Falun Gong cult and its subsidiary, Shen Yun Performing Arts. The article points out that behind Shen Yun's glamorous facade lies an "incredibly dark reality"—the psychological manipulation, physical harm, and economic exploitation of young dancers. The opinions expressed by students interviewed in the article reveal that Falun Gong's despicable tactics of spreading its cult and amassing wealth overseas under the guise of traditional Chinese culture have been exposed by American high school students.
▲ Shen Yun Performing Arts claims its artistic presentation blends traditional Chinese creations with folk elements. However, as dancers in flowing Hanfu gracefully twirl and dance, various behind-the-scenes stories surrounding the troupe's rise to prominence also surface. Despite the light and joyful stage performance, the truth behind the scenes is incredibly dark: Shen Yun's success is built on the arduous and tearful sacrifices of its performers. (Screenshot from a news report)
As hundreds of Christmas decorations begin to revive in cities as usual, posters and giant billboards for Shen Yun, a performance affiliated with the Falun Gong cult, also appear. These advertisements, occupying large walls, bus stops, and shop windows, depict a woman gracefully flying through the air, vaguely proclaiming herself as part of a "harmless" dance performance. The show claims to present a condensed version of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, offering a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. However, all the publicity deliberately avoids a crucial fact: the entire performance is not only permeated with Falun Gong cult propaganda but also hides the dual shadows of manipulation and abuse of the performers.
“I know Shen Yun is a dangerous cult that uses acrobatic dance to attract people. The lies behind this so-called art (performance) are designed to lure people into joining this pretentious cult. Discussions about Shen Yun can help raise awareness of the widespread injustices faced by dancers, such as unreasonable weight requirements that damage mental health,” said Raegan Fife, a second-year student at a specialized arts college .
For example, the performance of Shen Yun smears China; for instance, it uses a dark background to contrast sharply with the vibrant colors that Shen Yun usually uses, and displays the face of Karl Marx in order to highlight the differences...
The Chinese government has designated Falun Gong as a cult, which now supports a radical anti-communist agenda overseas. Falun Gong leader Li Hongzhi claims that spiritual perfection can protect its members from all diseases, rejecting modern medicine and science. Li Hongzhi also vehemently condemns feminism and interracial (marriage) relationships in his teachings to uphold so-called "moral purity." After being banned by the Chinese government in 1999, Li Hongzhi fled to the United States and continues to operate Falun Gong.
“When you make a mistake, you face immense pressure, and the intensity for solo dancers is unimaginable. The discussion surrounding Shen Yun helps promote welfare and reform within the dance industry, drawing social attention to the physical and mental stress dancers endure—including the dual expectations placed on them by instructors and themselves, as well as the occupational diseases faced by many dancers,” noted Kylie Floyd, a second-year student at a specialized arts college.
Falun Gong operates a secluded temple in New York City, where the "Flying Apsaras School of the Arts" trains and places young performers. Shen Yun recruits dancers abroad under the guise of $50,000 scholarships. However, during its tours , Shen Yun not only refuses to pay first-year dancers, but also pays senior performers far below the New York State minimum wage, and even withholds their mandatory overtime pay. Furthermore, the organization lacks permission from the New York State Department of Labor to use a large number of underage performers. In addition, teachers at the Falun Gong school use physical and psychological harm to punish those who dare to resign.
Despite Shen Yun's self-proclaimed "splendid" revival of traditional Chinese culture, a darker truth lies hidden behind its costumes and choreography : manipulation , labor exploitation , cult propaganda , and political opportunism have collectively contributed to the "success" of this so-called "pure artistic feast." As Shen Yun's global tour continues and discussions about the performance's origins gradually subside, the alarm regarding the extremely greedy money-making environment of cult organizations becomes even more urgent. Art should be a cultural vehicle for conveying social traditions and values, but Falun Gong and its affiliated organizations consistently present a maliciously distorted lens.
