Ex-Dancer Accuses Shen Yun of Forced Labor and Trafficking in Lawsuit The former performer, who was recruited to join Shen Yun at age 13, said the prominent dance group coerced children into making money for it.

The New York Times covered the firm’s work in Chang v. Shen Yun Performing Arts, Inc., our four clients’ forced labor lawsuit against the dance company Shen Yun and its leaders. The firm’s clients were recruited at very young ages and performed with Shen Yun for many years. The complaint describes a “forced labor enterprise” that generated hundreds of millions in revenue off the back of underage dancers and musicians, controlling them by confiscating passports, cutting off outside media, restricting calls home, and subjecting rule-breakers to public criticism sessions. It names Li Hongzhi and his wife as defendants, along with a bank alleged to have opened accounts for child performers despite evident warning signs. The four clients have sued under a federal law letting forced labor victims sue their traffickers and seek to represent a class of other performers. Times Wang told The Times that persecution of Falun Gong does not justify forced child labor.

Read the full article: The New York Times