The Missing Context About Shen Yun Dance Group CBS Didn't Show You
How withholding critical facts quietly steered viewers toward Beijing's preferred narrative.
In an age where trust in mainstream media hangs by a thread, what happens when a respected legacy outlet like CBS airs what looks like a fair, in-depth report … yet quietly leaves out crucial facts that could completely change how viewers see the story?
I’m talking about CBS Sunday Morning’s piece titled “Behind the scenes of Shen Yun” that was aired on Sunday Jan. 25, 2026, which dove into the world of Shen Yun Performing Arts, featuring allegations from former dancers alongside a rare look inside Shen Yun’s headquarters.
This is an effort to uncover more of what’s really going on and help readers think more critically about media portrayals of complex issues.
I don’t have any personal grudge against CBS. I’m simply highlighting how this particular story was framed and what important context was left out. I feel sympathy for anyone who’s been unfairly portrayed or misrepresented in this story. That’s exactly why I think it’s important to offer a more complete picture.
Background of Shen Yun, a New York-Based Performing Arts Company
Shen Yun is a New York-based non-profit performing arts company founded in 2006 by Falun Gong practitioners who fled persecution in China. It aims to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through classical dance, music, and storytelling. Feedback for the shows is immensely positive each year.
Falun Gong (Falun Dafa), introduced by Li Hongzhi in 1992, is a spiritual practice based on Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, plus five gentle exercises including a meditation. Teachings are free and have benefited people worldwide.
In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a severe nationwide persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, resulting in widespread arrest, torture, rape, murder, and forced organ harvesting.
I practice Falun Gong, and I used to work as a reporter for The Epoch Times, a media organization founded by Falun Gong practitioners.
I invite you to consider the information below on its own merits.
Serious Allegations From Former Dancers
The CBS Sunday Morning segment featured serious allegations from former dancers Jeff Sun and Ashley Cheng, who trained at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts starting in their teens in the late 2000s and left in 2015. The school is located at Dragon Springs, a 400-acre campus that is also home to Shen Yun.
The two claimed exploitation, forced child labor, medical neglect, isolation, and a pervasive culture of pressure and fear. They described medical care being discouraged due to Falun Gong teachings, with Cheng stating that any request for hospital treatment was denied and quickly blamed on the dancer for “disobeying” Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi, making the injury “your fault.” CBS noted they are part of a “growing group” of ex-dancers making similar claims.
To CBS’s credit, the video included responses from current Shen Yun artists (Piotr Huang, Shindy Cai, and Regina Dong) who also came to Dragon Springs as young teens. Huang described receiving an MRI and rehab for an Achilles injury, directly countering the allegations of neglect.
CBS also captured scenes from inside Dragon Springs including snippets of what daily life and artistic training is like there (albeit brief) as well as providing concise background information on Shen Yun, Falun Gong, and the CCP’s persecution in China.
At first glance, the 10-minute report appeared to me to be balanced and sincere, since it gave Shen Yun performers a voice, showed footage from inside Dragon Springs, and offered context on the group’s origins and challenges.
But later I realized CBS had omitted critical context and evidence that Shen Yun had shared or had ready to share with the reporters. These details could have given viewers a fuller, more informed picture of the allegations.
The CBS Omissions of Key Details of Accuser’s Ties to CCP Instutition
CBS omitted key details from its Shen Yun report, including the accusers’ documented ties to a CCP-linked institution after their 2015 expulsion, Shen Yun’s evidence of provided medical care, its structured practicum for dance students, a petition signed by over 1,500 current/former artists and families contradicting the claims, and the broader pattern of alleged Chinese regime-orchestrated disinformation campaigns targeting Shen Yun and Falun Gong.
1-Ties to a CCP-Linked Entity
As Ying Chen, an orchestral conductor with Shen Yun who was interviewed in the CBS piece, stated in a response to the CBS report:
The two accusers, by their own admission, have established ties to the Beijing Dance Academy (BDA), a Chinese government-run institution “known to be politically active at targeting Shen Yun.”
Jeff Sun was expelled for violating codes of conduct. Meanwhile, Ashley Cheng was not accepted into Fei Tian College due to having failed to meet high artistic requirements.
After Sun and Cheng left, they continued to volunteer for Shen Yun or Falun Gong-related organizations, and only filed the lawsuits in 2025—ten years after they left Dragon Springs—and after having established ties with BDA.
Most viewers would question the credibility of these allegations once they become aware of these facts, yet CBS omitted them entirely.
Imagine, hypothetically, if former employees of a Jewish-owned company filed explosive claims against it, but a news report failed to mention that those ex-employees had, by their own admission, become Nazi sympathizers or affiliated with a Nazi-linked organization before suing.
That’s roughly analogous here, with former dancers leveling serious accusations after linking up with the BDA, an entity under the Chinese regime… The same regime that’s hellbent on bringing down both Falun Gong and Shen Yun.
2-A signed petition from hundreds of artists and former artists, and a pattern of Chinese regime-orchestrated attacks
Chen’s statement further emphasized:
Furthermore, Jeff and Ashley’s lawsuit as well as their engagement with media to tell their stories all come at exactly the same time when Beijing is operating a well-documented, illicit campaign to use the U.S. legal system and disinformation in U.S. media to sabotage our company. Finally, these accusations from a small group, including Jeff and Ashley, fly in the face of the testimony of hundreds of current and former Shen Yun performers who, in a signed petition, have called these allegations “gross distortions of our work, our faith, and our way of life.”
So, while CBS did relay Chen’s view that the timing of the civil lawsuit is suspicious, coming amid a cluster of similar attacks in a short window, the segment failed to mention a key counterpoint, which is that hundreds of current and former Shen Yun performers previously signed a petition refuting recent negative media reports, including those echoing Sun and Cheng’s allegations.
3-Shen Yun’s Evidence of Medical Care
CBS also skipped key evidence Shen Yun had on hand to rebut the medical neglect allegations. Chen explained:
“For example, medical doctors who treat Shen Yun performers have talked publicly how performers are treated regularly for everything from minor injuries to severe problems requiring surgery. Medical records prove this. Furthermore, one of New Jersey’s best sports medicine doctors is on campus once a week and can be contacted anytime. Finally, the Fei Tian schools, which share our campus and where most Shen Yun performers are trained, also have well-documented procedures for handling medical issues. None of this was offered to the viewers.”
CBS also made no mention that Falun Gong teachings do not prohibit medical care anywhere.
4-Shen Yun’s Practicum Arrangement for Dance Students
Finally, Chen highlighted misleading framing around the Department of Labor inquiry:
“Toward the end of the segment, the [CBS] report says that ‘New York’s Department of Labor is now looking into Shen Yun’s working conditions and labor practices,’ which is an ominous statement left hanging for the viewers.”
She clarified that talented Fei Tian Academy students (sharing the campus) can join a state-approved practicum program to tour and perform with Shen Yun. These young performers need New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) permits, which Shen Yun has applied for and received. According to Chen, the real story is that Shen Yun is cooperating with NYSDOL, and is not under some dark investigation.
Chen’s statement raises additional important points, so it’s worth reading in full.
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Responses From Shen Yun Artists
Chen was just one of several Shen Yun artists who issued personal statements to directly address Sun and Cheng’s claims the CBS segment left unaddressed.
In their responses, the artists emphasized that they have consistently experienced support and kindness from instructors and fellow performers, have ready access to medical care whenever needed, and choose to perform with Shen Yun because they find the work deeply rewarding and meaningful. Some dancers also expressed they felt the CBS piece misrepresented their experiences and the organization.
Below are a list of the statements, worth clicking into to view each in full:
Statements from Shindy Cai
Statement from Piotr Huang (may need Instagram account to view)
Statements from Jared Ren
Statement from Kenji Kobayashi (may need Instagram account to view)
Statement from Sam of the Three Musketeers (may need Instagram account to view)
Statement from Felix Sun (may need Instagram account to view)
Statement from Sunni
Additional Statements on Instagram
Additional responses from Shen Yun artists and former performers appeared in the comments section under a short preview clip that CBS posted on Instagram ahead of the full Sunday Morning broadcast. That teaser video had also drawn a flood of critical and slanderous remarks directed at Shen Yun in the comment section.
I believe much of that backlash stems from CCP-backed agents reinforcing the negativity and “cult” claims, as well as real people having been deceived by an onslaught of misleading media coverage (particularly from New York Times) that have amplified allegations and lies from a small number of former dancers and misrepresented the topics.
Those media reports often repeated claims without solid evidence to back them up, while very conveniently overlooking the hundreds of current and former Shen Yun performers who have publicly defended the company and refuted similar accusations through signed statements and personal accounts.
Here are the Instagram statements in response to CBS, which can be viewed in full in the footnotes, alongside links to the Instagram accounts of the authors. The Instagram accounts of the authors themselves show an entirely different picture of Shen Yun than that conveyed by Sun and Cheng, so it is also worth checking those out in the footnotes, listed here for your convenience:
Statement from Kenji Kobayashi1
Statement from Ellie Rao2
Statement from 3Musketeers3
Statement from Linda Wang4
Statement from Aaron Huynh5
Statement from Felix Sun6
Statement from account perhapsimemily7
Statement from Jason Zhu8
In Conclusion
The CBS Sunday Morning segment on Shen Yun aimed to peel back the curtain on a unique artistic community, but by omitting critical context, it delivered a narrative that was incomplete at best and misleading at worst.
In effect, by withholding such vital information I feel CBS became in part victim to the Chinese regime’s false narrative.
I’d like to believe CBS strove for fairness, but motives aside, the result was in my opinion a distorted portrayal that may have nudged public perception toward one side instead of delivering the full picture viewers deserve.
In an era of declining media trust, this kind of omission risks deepening bigotry and leaving unaware audiences to piece together the truth from fragments.
Worse still, it allows slanderous comments to flood social media unchecked, spreading hate and lies with zero context to counter it.
True understanding demands we examine all sides, which yes, includes acknowledging the accusers’ voices but also weighing the counter-evidence and context in full.
When misinformation floods comments, labels a practice built on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance as a “cult,” and fuels bigotry, this is compounding harm against people who fled tyranny to create something beautiful.
If media can be (even unintentionally) weaponized to effectively deepen persecution instead of exposing it, we have a problem. That problem only gets fixed when we stop accepting half-stories.
So what can we do going forward?
Be discerning. Ruthlessly so. When the word “cult” is flung like a weapon, ask: What is the source of this accusation? What has been deliberately concealed? What inconvenient facts have been excised to make the lie more palatable?
Who is making that accusation, and are they even real, or even telling the truth?
Demand better. Comment, share, question. Do so politely and persistently.
Construct your own filter. Read widely, deeply. Question harder. Cross-check relentlessly. Think for yourself as a moral obligation.
Change does not begin with CBS. It begins with all of us, each refusing, consciously and voluntarily, to allow incomplete, sometimes even malevolent, narratives to win by default.
Truth is the way, and it compounds when each of us takes responsibility. Each piece of clarity we can come to and share is a blow against lies and tyranny, however small it appears.
Recent Updates
Since the publication of this article, Falun Dafa Information Center’s executive director, Levi Browde, published a video in which he discusses in-depth CBS’s piece on Shen Yun. He addresses many issues regarding the report, even the nuances of certain words used in the script of CBS’s report, to show the subtle yet intentional ways in which CBS has framed the subject. I believe this video is worth watching if you want to further grasp how things really are at Shen Yun, and what CBS got right and wrong in its reporting.
Footnotes:
Kenji Kobayashi: “The ‘injuries’ they mentioned are actually quite common for dancers. They’re things that often happen in the early stages of dance training. None of them were serious injuries; it’s simply part of the adjustment period when you first start learning dance.
“Jeff is my senior. At that time, he was already very flexible, and it was all achieved through hard, disciplined training. He was actually my idol back then. For people who have gone through it to now describe the leg-stretching they did when they first started dancing as “abuse” feels a little odd. If it really were abuse, why didn’t they quit at the very beginning? After dancing for so many years, to suddenly look back and say something like this feels strange.
“I’ve been dancing for 17 years. Training until I couldn’t stand up, stretching my legs until I couldn’t walk, muscle strains and pressure injuries—these are all completely normal. As for not being allowed to see a doctor… for a muscle strain, all you can really do is rest anyway, and going to the hospital would lead to the same result. Unless it’s a fracture, a sprain, or a torn ligament—those are situations where going to the hospital for an examination is of course normal. Treating early-stage leg stretching as abuse really doesn’t make much sense.
“If there truly were abuse, then why would so many people still go to Shen Yun, and why would parents continue to send their children there?”
2. Ellie Rao: “Ashley was my first roommate when I arrived on campus in 2013.
“She was actually class monitor back then. What she mentioned in the video about having stretch till her was numb might sound horrible but for most dancers in CCD it’s what you have to go through if you want to dance professionally. “Stretching was nightmarish for me as well when I was younger 😂 but she makes it sound like SY is the only place that does this... what about dance schools in China lol.”
3. Musketeers: “I’ve been dancing with SY for over a decade and I can say this is the most caring environment I’ve been in
“I’ve known Jeff for many years but wow I almost didn’t recognize him for a second. I’m not too sure if I’ve met the girl before, but Jeff is exaggerating his pains while stretching, I don’t know how truthful his internal bleeding in both legs was either. For me, yes stretching hurts, everyone knows that. And if you don’t warm up properly you may pull something, that’s what I think he experienced. I know if I ever pulled anything the teacher would recommend me to stop. Because if you keep pulling it becomes stiffer, which is counter intuitive.
“What the girl said I’m not too sure about, but if you’re injured you let the teacher know then you just stop. I don’t know what they’re talking abt, I ruptured my Achilles, I got surgery.
“What both of them are talking about are normal stretching routines in normal dance school. Jeff didn’t dance or stretch before so obviously it was the most pain. Why do 20 year old dancers need pills? Is it normal to see pills among healthy dancers?
“No one ever said you get injuries because you disobeyed Mr Li. That is an outright lie
“Why would they lie? Well, Jeff didn’t leave on the best terms and now has ties with Beijing Dance Academy which is basically a CCP entity… It’s pretty clear that their experience is weaponized and used to turn public opinion against Shen Yun, a performance that brings beauty and hope in today’s world. I hope people get to see the show for themselves before judging on one-sided accounts.”
4. Linda Wang: “Just wanted to give my two cents as someone who’s been at Shen Yun for the last 10 years.
”I feel so deeply saddened that some people have said in the comments they will no longer watch Shen Yun because of unfair reporting like this. For the last 10 years I’ve played for audience members across the world. From the orchestra pit, I can often catch glimpses of the audience reactions from the first row. They’re oftentimes smiling as they watch the performance, if not laughing, or looking shocked from a surprise that just happened on stage. I can also see people crying. Sometimes it’s tears of joy deep from the soul from the beauty of the performance, and sometimes it is from sorrow, from the emotional stories depicted on stage. We also receive standing ovations at the end of the performance. I have bumped into audience members who told me how much they loved the show, thanking us for what we are doing.
”For those in the minority who said that they saw the show and hated it, I can only guess that they have a dislike for traditional art forms, or a dislike for Chinese culture in general. It could also be the case that they have misconceptions about the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa/aka Falun Gong.
”Maybe some people saw that one story we have in the show about Falun Dafa Practitioners being persecuted for their faith in China, and consider the entire show a political act.
”Well, Shen Yun’s source of inspiration for its production, is Chinese culture, including China’s history. If stories of battles and hero’s from the ancient dynasties are allowed, why is history from 20 years ago not fair game? Something that happens yesterday is still considered history today right? And why does the show choose to depict this current persecution? Members of Shen Yun Performing Arts are indeed Falun Dafa practitioners, their families and friends, fellow practitioners are currently being persecuted and suppressed in China for their faith, and they don’t have a voice in that communist country. (1/2)
(2/2) “Is it wrong to speak out for the oppressed, asking the world for help? We look back now at the holocaust, or the persecution of Christians by the Romans, and we think: it was such a shame, it should never have happened, how I wish it could’ve been prevented. Now the same thing is happening to practitioners of Falun Dafa, and yet some people have chosen to believe the lies of the CCP and extend their slanders on the religion. It is heartbreaking that some people have been so deceived by lies, and that’s why I made it my mission to help spread the truth, using my art to show people the beauty of true traditional Chinese culture, and clarify the facts about Falun Dafa practitioners.
“I really hope that some people can think about this whole topic more sensibly. The practitioners being persecuted in China are free to leave the jail as soon as they utter the words “I will quit practicing Falun Dafa,” yet after 26 yrs of gruesome persecution, including forced organ harvesting of Falun Dafa practitioners, so many chose to stand their ground, holding firm to their faith. Outside of China, Falun Dafa practitioners pour time and energy into telling the world about the ongoing persecution.
“Some people might just be making negative comments because they read some things online, or just enjoy generating hate speech, but if you are genuinely interested in the truth of this whole matter of Shen Yun and Falun Dafa, all the books on Falun Dafa are all free online and you’re welcome to come watch our show in person.”
5. Aaron Huynh: “When my Achilles snapped during the opening night of our show in my hometown of Sydney, Australia, I felt like my whole world was crashing down. I was overwhelmed with guilt and disappointment in myself for not being able to play my part in the company and for creating more trouble because I could no longer dance, act, or even walk. I sat in the backstage changing room, completely broken and stunned, as dancers frantically thought of ways to fill my spots while the show continued.
”I broke down when a friend came up to me and said, “It’s my fault that your Achilles snapped.” Of course, he had no role in my injury, but that moment showed his care, sense of responsibility, and reflection on whether he could have done better as a fellow dancer and a friend. That was the kind of support we had for one another, through everything, no matter what life threw at us.
”As I cried, my company manager quietly and gently comforted me. While I kept blaming myself and apologizing, she firmly told me that I had nothing to be sorry for. She said that injuries happen, that I should focus on my recovery, and not worry about the show. Rather than forcing me back on stage, she immediately coordinated for my parents, who happened to be in the audience, to take me to the hospital. After she said that, it felt like my burdens and anxiety lifted. I felt understood, supported, and cared for.
”I’ve been with Shen Yun for many years, and during my studies and career there, I went through two serious injuries. Both times, the school, my teachers, faculty, friends, and family were there to support me and help me get back on my feet. I had two successful surgeries, one on my right knee for a torn ACL and another on my left Achilles, both of which occurred during my time with Shen Yun.
”It’s sad to hear that Jeff and Ashley had such difficult experiences, but I have never had that kind of experience with my injuries. I was treated with respect, kindness, and understanding throughout. I was never denied treatment for my injuries, and I was never pressured to believe that speaking about my injuries would affect my access to medical care.”
6. Felix Sun: “Sure, the way things are here won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s completely fine. But it’s just interesting to me how the only experiences mentioned are only negative ones when hundreds of us, a vast majority, have had positive experiences. Shen Yun is no way perfect but an interview this skewed is not very credible in my eyes. And based off what they’re saying, I’ll just say that there is a lot of exaggeration and manipulation of truth going on.
”I’m a dancer with Shen Yun and have personally witnessed the company grow from having 2 performing arts company to now 8 companies performing worldwide. It’s honestly been such a journey and privilege to witness such an explosive growth at a time where performing arts was in a trending decline. But at the same time, the process was not easy and there were plenty of hardships along the way; and personally I think that’s something to expect. It wasn’t just happiness and sunshine all the way and any company or individual who has achieved anything meaningful will tell you that that’s just not reality. I’ve had my fair share of injuries and hardships here as a dancer too and to be honest, everyone will experience it at some point in their career. Even in other highly competitive sports, injury is not uncommon at all and I’m sure most times people have to find ways to push through when conditions aren’t ideal. That’s just life in my opinion.
”Lastly, it’s really not a secret anymore that the media and news has been pushing certain narratives to make the consumer feel a certain way. So when something you see is so one sided, it’s probably best to stop and ask “what is it they’re trying to make me feel and why?” Best to keep that in mind before just fully accepting everything you see on the internet. I’ll just leave it at that.”
7. perhapsimemily: “I have been with Shen Yun and the Fei Tian dance schools for about 13 years now, and I can guarantee that Shen Yun isn’t the villain pictured so grossly and unjustifiably by Jeff and Ashley.
”Honestly, dancing is not for everyone. Neither are many forms of extreme sports and art forms, for that matter—or else the majority of the human population would all be Olympic medalists. In those fields, people get injured too. People also deal with issues and complications because that is LIFE. There will always be things that don’t go right, and it’s one’s own choice whether to stick to a certain field or to do something else one is more suited to.
”Especially with Classical Chinese Dance, which requires rigorous and intensive training, the standards are not something you can reach with money or connections. It’s grueling. It takes commitment, patience, dedication, and definitely sweat and tears. Injuries are common. I mean, if you read the stories of Olympians, don’t you always see it too? ACL tears, sprains, fractures, and the like. I myself am currently battling a hip labral tear, and the company has helped me during my worst times. All of my teachers and peers constantly care for me, always telling me to rest, and I am NEVER forced to do something beyond my limit.
”So why is it that Shen Yun is singled out for so-called “labor” and “cultist behavior” when what we do is akin to other art companies or athletes? When all we want to do is revive traditional values and morals and share goodness with the world? There is always more than one side to a story. Perhaps you’ve heard that in Shen Yun, some members work overtime. It’s not that we are forced to—it’s because we CHOOSE to. Indeed, Shen Yun members all come from different beginnings: some wanted to learn Classical Chinese Dance, some wanted a more traditional education. The majority is that we all have a belief in tradition, in being kind, in sharing goodness with the world. Is it really so unbelievable that there exist people who are willing to sacrifice a lot simply to spread goodness to the world? How is believing in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance a cult?”
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Jason Zhu: “After being with Shen Yun for 19 years, to say the least, I am confused by their statements… I can only give facts, after these 2 left Shen Yun, they started having ties with Beijing Dance Academy, a CCP sponsored institution. Shen Yun strives to show China before Communism. So yeah CCP hates us. This hatred is heavily documented from the years of evidence including bus tire sabotage, pressuring of theaters and governments to cancel our show internationally, and recently fake bomb threats at theaters and our campus in NY.
”If I were to go back to China now I will be locked up, even facing persecution just because I am affiliated with Shen Yun. I haven’t been back to my home country in nearly 3 decades. CCP has immense power and influence, they have the money to influence countries and turn politicians.
”The truth is that by trying to show China before Communism, we inadvertently became the target of a global superpower.”
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montywkj: I was injured while working for shen yun during a performance and they took me to get an MRI scan+rehabilitation right afterwards. I'm no longer a dancer there, but my experience was positive 👍
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