On the world-class stages of Shen Yun Performing Arts’ 2026 global tour, principal dancer Ellie Rao embodies both artistic precision and a deeply personal story of resilience. Rao, a Chinese classical dancer, executes the demanding “Dao Ti Zi Jin Guan” technique – balancing on one leg while arching the other high behind – a feat that mirrors her own journey from repression in Guangzhou, China, to international acclaim.
Rao’s story gained wider attention following the publication of an essay in “The Hill” on July 27, 2025, where she commemorated the 26th anniversary of her father’s death. The essay details the persecution her father faced for his faith and frames her dance career as a tribute to his memory and a means of sharing truth.
Born in Guangzhou, Rao described a stable family life with a father working as a food safety inspector and a mother as a dental nurse. This stability was shattered in 1999 when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) initiated a crackdown on Falun Gong practitioners, a meditation practice rooted in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Despite its peaceful nature, the CCP launched a widespread campaign to eradicate the practice, resulting in widespread persecution and, according to reports, the deaths of thousands.
Rao recounted witnessing her father’s arrest as a four-year-old. “I watched as my father was dragged away by police,” she wrote, describing how officers, posing as utility workers, forcibly entered their home. Two weeks later, her father died in custody, a result, she believes, of his refusal to renounce his beliefs.
In 2004, at the age of nine, Rao and her mother fled China, eventually finding refuge in the United States via Thailand. A pivotal moment came with a Shen Yun performance in Washington, D.C. “In that performance, I felt something I couldn’t find anywhere else in the world today,” Rao recalled, finding in the dancers’ movements a sense of hope.
Driven by this experience, Rao enrolled at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts in Modern York, later continuing her studies at Fei Tian College, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Chinese classical dance. The training is exceptionally rigorous, demanding not only technical skill but too shen yun – an inner spiritual expression conveyed through movement. Rao explained that techniques like the “Dao Ti Zi Jin Guan” require not just physical prowess, but an inner force, a connection to something deeper.
Rao’s dedication led to international recognition, including a silver medal in the adult women’s division at the 2021 NTD Television International Classical Chinese Dance Competition. She views Chinese classical dance as a culturally rich art form, distinct from purely athletic pursuits. “In gymnastics, you can keep a blank expression as long as the movements are correct,” she said. “But Chinese classical dance must come from the heart.” She believes traditional Chinese culture is “divinely inspired,” and that its moral and spiritual foundations are essential to true artistry.
Now in her 13th season with Shen Yun, Rao often performs in pieces that depict stories of faith and persecution. For her, these performances are a continuation of her father’s legacy and a way to share the truth with the world. “This is how I show the truth to the world,” she said. “No matter how brutally the truth is suppressed, it always finds a way to pierce through the darkness.”
Rao acknowledged that many Shen Yun performers share similar experiences of family persecution, fostering a strong sense of solidarity. She also noted instances of disruption targeting Shen Yun, including slashed tour bus tires, bomb threats, and attempts to undermine the company’s nonprofit status and pressure venues to cancel performances.
Despite these challenges, Rao remains committed to sharing traditional values through her art. Quoting Shakespeare, she stated, “As long as people are still breathing, still able to observe, dance will exist, and life will continue through dance.” She believes in the enduring power of art and the ultimate triumph of virtue.
