Beijing Dance Academy Dances to the Tune of Zhongnanhai
Executive Summary:
- The Beijing Dance Academy (BDA), China’s leading dance institution, operates as a state-owned entity deeply entwined with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), receiving significant funding from the Chinese government and being governed by a Party-dominated leadership—details that are downplayed or omitted in its English-language materials.
- BDA’s curriculum and international exchange programs mandate political education and loyalty to CCP ideology, raising concerns about academic autonomy and the integrity of global partnerships.
- The Academy’s CCP ties and politicization creates risks for foreign institutions, who may unknowingly partner with a vector for Chinese state propaganda and CCP influence, rather than a perceived neutral cultural entity.
Recent action by U.S. lawmakers targeting programs like the China Scholarship Council underline mounting concerns that institutional academic ties may serve as vectors for Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence rather than genuine exchanges (AP, July 9).
The Beijing Dance Academy (BDA; 北京舞蹈学院), established in 1954, is the premier institution for dance education in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It is renowned for its rigorous training in classical Chinese dance, ballet, and modern choreography (BDA, accessed November 3). With over 500 faculty members and approximately 2,000 students, BDA has cultivated a global reputation, forging partnerships with institutions in the United States, Europe, Taiwan, and beyond.
BDA’s performances tend to present an image of cultural excellence. Beneath this artistic façade, however, lies a deep entanglement with the CCP, which shapes BDA’s governance, curriculum, and international engagements. As the BDA has become increasingly politicized, its role as a state-owned institution has advanced the CCP’s ideological agenda. Overseas partner institutions are likely unaware of the extent of BDA’s government funding, Party-dominated leadership, mandatory political education, and the stringent political criteria it maintains in its international exchange programs. But its Chinese-language website makes its role in advancing the Party line unambiguous. BDA’s latest production is a restaging of “Railway Guerrillas” (铁道游击队), which it describes as a “classic ethnic dance drama” (经典民族舞剧); and an article from early December discusses faculty taking a political education class on the CCP Central Committee’s recent fourth plenum in which their work was praised for “serving the country through dance” (以舞报国), including through international exchanges (BDA, December 1, December 3).
Institutional Ties to the Chinese Communist Party
The BDA operates as a state-owned institution under the direct oversight of the PRC government, and its party committee wields significant influence over its operations. The Academy receives substantial funding from the government, operating under the education committee of the Beijing Municipal government (BDA, December 2017 [archived version]; BDA, December 19, 2018). According to a published budget, the academy received at least Renminbi (RMB) 28 million ($3.9 million) in 2023 from government funds. This comprised over 45 percent of the organization’s total budget (BDA, March 9, 2023).
In the past two years alone, BDA has received at least three major institutional project grants from the state-run China National Arts Fund (CNAF; 中国国家艺术基金). Publicly available funding requests for such projects typically range from RMB 100,000–4,000,000 ($14,000–$556,000), depending on scope and category (General Administration of Sport of China, March 21, 2023; CNAF, June 24; China Performing Arts Ticketing, accessed July 27). According to its 2022 Graduate Education Quality Report, at least four faculty members from BDA serve as national-level reviewers for state grant bodies such as the CNAF (BDA, April 2022 [archived version], June 8, 2022). This financial dependence ensures BDA’s operations and academic direction align with CCP priorities and state directives.
The CCP’s grip on BDA is also clear in the composition of the organization’s leadership. According to a November 2024 analysis of its Chinese-language website, 10 out of the 11 members of BDA’s leadership team were CCP members, holding dual roles as academic administrators and Party officials. [1] After a leadership rotation in January 2025, the leadership team now comprises eight individuals, of which seven are CCP members. This includes the Academy’s president, vice presidents, and deans, who are tasked with both educational leadership and advancing Party ideology (BDA, November 3).
The current party secretary is Liu Lan (刘岚). A CCP member of over 30 years (since 1994), Liu has held several senior political roles within BDA, including as deputy party secretary, head of the BDA Party Committee’s Organization and Propaganda Department, and director of the United Front Work Department of BDA’s Party School. All these positions entail responsibility for managing loyalty and alignment with Party priorities (BDA, January 13, 2015). Notably, she does not appear to have any background in the arts, as her biographies cite degrees in law and economics. As the new party secretary, her role at BDA involves overseeing the Party Committee’s activities, including the enforcement of political education and the approval of major institutional decisions. The school’s new president is Xu Rui (许锐), himself deputy secretary of the party committee (BDA, November 3).
Discrepancies between BDA’s English- and Chinese-language websites further reveal its political alignment. The English site portrays BDA as a purely academic and cultural entity, emphasizing artistic achievements and international collaborations. In contrast, the Chinese site details the Party Committee’s authority, highlighting its role in organizing study sessions on Xi Jinping Thought and Party history (BDA, September 28, 2021; BDA, June 30, 2023 [archived version]). The academy’s Chinese website also lists the Party Committee’s United Front Work Department and its Propaganda Department among key departments (BDA, [accessed February 1]). As of November 2024, its English language-website, by contrast, omitted mention of four out of the 11 members of the school leadership, including those in charge of the above two areas so central to the Party’s authoritarian grip and foreign influence activities (BDA, accessed July 20). Seven out of the eight members of the current leadership are listed in English. The omitted individual is Xiao Xiangrong (肖向荣), a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of the academy. This dual messaging suggests an intentional effort to obscure the CCP presence at the institution from international audiences, portraying BDA as a neutral cultural institution while embedding Party oversight in its core operations.
Political Education in the Curriculum
BDA’s curriculum is infused with mandatory political education, requiring all students to complete courses on CCP history and ideology (BDA, January 2022). Administered by the Party Committee, these classes cover the history of the Communist Revolution, Marxism-Leninism, and the policies of Xi Jinping’s leadership. According to internal guidelines, these courses are core graduation requirements, ensuring every student is steeped in Party doctrine. Beyond classroom study, students participate in activities, including essay contests and performances, that celebrate CCP milestones, such as the Party’s centennial in 2021. These activities often require students to create works that reflect “socialist values” (社会主义价值观) and national pride, aligning artistic expression with state propaganda. At special activities like the 70th Anniversary BDA Dance Forum, then-Party Secretary Ba Tu (巴图) highlighted that “Beijing Dance Academy must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” (京舞蹈学院要以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指引) (China Writers Association Net, October 24, 2024).
This integration of ideological training into an artistic institution raises concerns about academic freedom and autonomy. While BDA trains students in dance disciplines, the mandatory political component suggests that creative freedom and expression is subordinate to Party objectives. This mirrors broader trends in higher education in the PRC, where state-owned universities prioritize ideological conformity, often at the expense of independent thinking and critical inquiry. For BDA students, the pressure to conform ideologically may shape not only their education but also their future careers, as loyalty to the Party becomes a prerequisite for professional development and job opportunities.
Political Loyalty in International Exchange Programs
BDA’s international exchange programs, a key pillar of its global outreach, are heavily politicized, with explicit requirements for political loyalty. Announcements on BDA’s Chinese-language website for partnerships with institutions like the State University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase outline stringent applicant criteria. A May 2024 announcement states that candidates must “love the motherland and socialism, have good political and professional qualities, be physically and mentally healthy, and have no record of violating laws and disciplines” (热爱祖国、热爱社会主义，具有良好的政治和专业素质，身心健康，无违法违纪记录) (BDA, May 22, 2024). Identical requirements appear in announcements for exchanges with institutions in Austria, Poland, and Taiwan, indicating a standardized policy (Beijing Dance Academy International, October 8, 2023, November 15, 2023, May 24, 2024).
The selection process further embeds CCP oversight. Applicants must be recommended by the Party Committee of their faculty or department, and the Party branch must provide a written evaluation of the candidate’s “ideology” (思想) assessing their alignment with CCP values. These requirements ensure that only politically reliable individuals represent BDA abroad, effectively turning exchange students into informal ambassadors of Party ideology. The English-language versions of these announcements omit such criteria, framing exchanges as purely cultural and academic, which suggests a deliberate effort to conceal the CCP’s influence from international partners.
Implications for Global Partnerships
BDA’s politicized framework poses significant risks for its international partners, who may be unaware of the extent of CCP influence. Institutions like SUNY Purchase, as well others that engage with BDA, do so under the assumption of mutual artistic collaboration. But political loyalty requirements and Party oversight raise concerns about the integrity of these partnerships. Foreign students and faculty participating in BDA programs may be exposed to ideological training, while BDA students abroad may promote CCP narratives, including distortions and falsehoods about contemporary China or Chinese history. This aligns with the CCP’s broader strategy of using cultural institutions to enhance global influence, as seen in initiatives like the Confucius Institutes, which have faced scrutiny for their political activities and negative impact on academic freedom (National Association of Scholars, April 5, 2017).
BDA’s exchange programs could be leveraged to limit opportunities for competitors like Shen Yun to perform. For over a decade, Shen Yun successfully performed at SUNY Purchase’s Performing Arts Center in New York. In September 2024, however, following SUNY’s signing of a student exchange agreement with BDA earlier that year, the theater canceled a contract for Shen Yun’s 2025 season. [2] This was done in part because the student exchange agreement contained political selection criteria. This cancellation raises concerns that BDA’s partnerships may be used to exert pressure on foreign institutions to suppress performances critical of the CCP, thereby extending its domestic censorship criteria into global cultural spaces.
Conclusion
The Beijing Dance Academy exemplifies the CCP’s ability to weave political control into cultural institutions. With substantial government funding, a leadership team dominated by CCP members, mandatory political education, and ideological requirements for international exchanges, BDA serves as both a premier dance academy and a vehicle for Party propaganda. The leadership of figures like Party Secretary Liu Lan ensures that the Academy aligns with CCP priorities, while discrepancies between its English and Chinese websites obscure this reality from global audiences. As the CCP continues to leverage its cultural institutions for political ends, a critical understanding of organizations like BDA is essential to preserving the integrity of global academic and artistic exchange.
Notes
[1] The initial analysis was published in November 2024 by the Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC) based on information on BDA’s website; the author reviewed the original documents and verified the accuracy of this count, then conducted an updated analysis after the leadership rotation of January 2025. https://faluninfo.net/beijing-dance-academy-a-chinese-state-owned-art-institute-closely-intertwined-with-the-chinese-communist-party/.
[2] Author’s interview with a representative of Shen Yun’s hosting organization for SUNY Purchase, July 2025.
