A recent lawsuit filed against Shen Yun Performing Arts and affiliates alleges that this nonprofit organization has imposed harsh conditions on some young dancers, including demanding long hours for minimal pay. According to abc News, the plaintiff Chang Chun-Ko's allegations include exploitation of young performers and mimicking abusive practices reminiscent of the Chinese Communist Party, despite the group's own opposition to the CCP.
The details emerge from the complaint lodged in White Plains federal court by Chang, who describes a routine of grueling hours and performances without commensurate compensation. Chang maintains that she began performing in December 2009 with no pay initially, working up to 18 hours a day, and later received $500 a month, which was raised to $1,000 upon graduation from Fei Tian College in 2019, FOX 5 New York reports. In the filing, claims are also made of public humiliation used as discipline, and the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Shen Yun, identified closely with the Falun Gong spiritual movement, suggests a different narrative through their online portal. They assert that 85% of their performers are adults, and touring with Shen Yun is purportedly an opportunity for young artists to gain exposure and scholarships for education. Nonetheless, Chang's account presents a sharp contrast to this so-called "chance of a lifetime," as per FOX5 New York.
During her tenure with Shen Yun, Chang recounts restrictive contact with her family, seeing her mother only during a two-week holiday each year. In yet another troubling aspect of her experience, she claims to have been denied medical care while ill with measles at age 14, instructed instead to meditate as a form of recovery. Her eventual diagnosis, upon her return to Taiwan, included clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the legal submission. Shen Yun has yet to comment on these allegations.
