Daisy Wang said she sprained her ankle five times but never saw a doctor. Getty Images

The abuse and injuries behind Shen Yun’s spectacle

Shen Yun Performing Arts began two decades ago as a Chinese dance show staged at high-end venues to entertain and spread the message of the Falun Gong religious movement, which has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party. Soon the dance group was enjoying brisk ticket sales on five continents and holdings of more than $265 million.

But some of the dancers, mostly teens and young adults, told The Times that they had been coerced into performing with serious injuries, and that they were told that medical treatment was a crutch of the unfaithful. Most described feeling like an expendable commodity as the group focused on spreading its views and raking in cash.