The renowned Chinese dance group Shen Yun is reportedly earning millions through child labor, as revealed by an investigation conducted by BNR, which spoke with former dancers following reports by The New York Times. The investigation indicates that young performers face strict control, manipulation, 12-hour workdays, and receive minimal pay.
Shen Yun is performing tonight at a sold-out show in The Hague’s World Forum Theater, marking the first of twelve performances in the Netherlands. Most tickets, priced over 150 euros, have been sold.
Shen Yun, originally a Chinese dance group, generates substantial revenue globally. They claim to showcase China’s pre-communist culture.
Dancers are recruited young, often beginning around age thirteen, and typically leave in their twenties. Once part of the community, located on a U.S. campus, dancers face psychological intimidation and exploitation.
Former dancers reported 12-hour workdays with monthly earnings of a thousand dollars or less. “You are essentially a prisoner,” said Sun Zan to BNR, who danced with the group for seven years.
The New York Times gathered thousands of incriminating documents and interviewed over 150 people regarding Shen Yun’s misconducts. In addition to low pay, dancers endure strict control, with phones banned and limited parental communication.
Passports are confiscated during foreign trips. In August, The New York Times revealed that performers were often discouraged from seeking medical treatment for injuries.
Shen Yun allegedly fosters an environment of fear, distrust of the outside world, and discourages dissenting opinions. Many artists wishing to leave were threatened and intimidated, warned their safety could be at risk.
Shen Yun is managed by Falun Gong, a spiritual movement persecuted in China since the 1990s, with headquarters in New York, where leader Li Hongzhi resides. Shen Yun representatives have dismissed The New York Times reports as attacks on their faith community, claiming they rely on disgruntled interviewees and the Chinese government’s efforts to suppress them.
They also deny artists were left without medical care. New York’s labor department has initiated an investigation into the dance group.
World Forum spokesperson Michiel Middendorf told NOS they were unaware of these accusations against Shen Yun. “We contractually require all performers to comply with Dutch law.
If the labor inspection investigates, we will fully cooperate.” For now, performances continue as scheduled. The labor department confirmed awareness of the issue, stating that foreign employers must adhere to Dutch labor laws when operating in the Netherlands, but it remains unclear if they are actively investigating.
Source: NOS