Shen Yun publicity photo Christian groups have promoted The Epoch Times newspaper and The Firing Squad film to Christians by concealing their links to Falun Gong, a non-Christian spiritual movement. But a New York Times report on the Shen Yun dance troupe further highlights the movement’s practices and beliefs.

Shen Yun Performing Arts claims its elaborate dance performances show “China before Communism,” but Falun Gong uses the shows to raise money and evangelize audiences while treating its dancers “as an expendable commodity,” discouraging them from seeking medical care and commanding obedience through emotional abuse and manipulation, The Times said. Reporters interviewed 80 people, including 25 former Shen Yun dancers and musicians for its 4,500-word article, “Behind the Pageantry of Shen Yun, Untreated Injuries and Emotional Abuse.” An accompanying summary of the article’s “Five Takeaways” was followed by another article, “Lifting the Curtain of Shen Yun to Reveal a Dark Side,” about how the investigation was conducted. Fourteen of the dancers said they “suffered untreated injuries or ailments — or saw others get hurt without receiving care.” “It’s supposed to self-heal if you just send forth righteous thoughts,” said one former troupe member.

Li Hongzhi is a former Chinese government clerk who founded Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, in China in 1992. “Most described feeling used by a religious movement that was focused on spreading its views even if performers were harmed in the process — while raking in money from ticket sales,” the report says. “Inside Shen Yun, the group’s leaders told their young performers that each show was an urgent spiritual mission, and they led them to believe that anyone who spoke out against the movement would face dire consequences.” Falun Gong has sought to grow its influence and income in the U.S., and evangelical Christian businesses and ministries have been glad to help them out. The publicity company owned by A. Larry Ross, who worked with Billy Graham for decades, publicized The Firing Squad, the first offering from Falun Gong’s new Epoch Studios. The film was pitched to Christian leaders and audiences, but the company concealed all connections to Falun Gong and declined to discuss its work promoting the non-Christian faith group. National Religious Broadcasters, which calls itself “the world’s largest association of Christian communicators,” has promoted both The Epoch Times and The Firing Squad but never has informed its members about Falun Gong financing both efforts. NRB has declined to answer questions about its partnership with Falun Gong or explain why it is promoting a non-Christian religious group that is not eligible for membership. The Times report shows that Shen Yun, which has holdings worth more than $265 million, believes its performances “would save their audiences from an approaching apocalypse. It was a message that was constantly reinforced in lessons that instilled a fierce sense of obligation, as well as mistrust of the outside world, they said.”

Shen Yun publicity photo Dancers, many of them recruited when they were teens or pre-teens, face grueling work schedules, receive little pay, and suffer cult-like control over their lifestyles, relationships with family, communication with the outside world, and internet use. “Often, they worked 15-hour days — rehearsing, performing, even setting up and breaking down heavy orchestra equipment — for low or no pay, toiling under the impression that they were indebted for the cost of the schooling, food and lodging that the movement provided them,” says the Times report. Performers are pressured to follow the teachings of Falun Gong’s founder, Master Li Hongzhi, and are warned they will “go to hell or face danger” if they leave, because “they would lose Mr. Li’s protection.” Shen Yun performers are under the control of Master Li’s wife, Li Rui. One cellist who left the group was warned by Ms. Li that “he would have to repay eight years of tuition — an amount that might have exceeded $200,000.” Performers are harangued for on-stage mistakes, the report says. One said he still suffers mental trauma after a decade away from the group that taught the tiniest errors could have eternal significance. “Then the universe is not saved because of you,” said a former principal dancer.