KL bans Singapore ballet for ‘indecent’ tutus and tights
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KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — A Singaporean dance troupe has been denied a permit to perform here this weekend owing to their “indecent” costumes, a Malaysian dance organisation said today.
MyDance Alliance president Bilqis Hijjas said the decision by Puspal against the Singapore Dance Theatre performing at KLPac was “deplorable” and would hurt Malaysia’s reputation as a reliable host for cultural shows.
Puspal, or the Central Agency for the Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists, is under the purview of the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry headed by Datuk Seri Rais Yatim.
Bilqis said Puspal had approved dances featuring classical tutus before — even at government-run theatre Istana Budaya as late as this year — and asked why the agency was “so inconsistent” in applying its guidelines.
“KLPac, by comparison, is a private business on private ground, with paying audiences who were well aware of what they were coming to see, and not one of whom would have been distressed by the costumes,” she said.
She noted that the women’s costumes featured long skirts, except for dancers in The Nutcracker, who would have worn the same short classical tutus and tights that have been used since ballet dancers performed before the Russian tsars in the 1870s.
“Ballet dancers in Baghdad are allowed to wear ballet costumes on stage,” said Bilqis. “Are we to understand that the Malaysian public is less cosmopolitan, less morally resilient and less broad minded than the citizens of a Middle Eastern country that has been ripped to shreds by war and violence?”
Bilqis pointed out that the arts were also a business, and that Puspal’s decision would create “enormous doubt” among international investors, causing them to shun Malaysia as a venue for world-class performers.
This would lead to huge loss of revenue for the country, which contradicted the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry’s stated objective of “increasing national income through contributions from the creative and communication industries”, she added.
Bilqis said she hoped the show would be allowed to go on “with better leadership” from the ministry as it was an act that would raise its prestige as an open and consistent incubator of the arts.
In February, Puspal cancelled the permit issued to R&B singer Erykah Badu after English daily The Star ran an “offensive” image of the American artiste bearing temporary tattoos of the word “Allah” in Arabic script.
The agency could not be reached for comment at the time of writing.
--Yahoo!
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SDT "disappointed" performance not approved by M'sia
SINGAPORE: The artistic director of Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) said the company is extremely disappointed that its performance has not been approved by Malaysian authorities.
Mr Janek Schergen said the SDT is looking at the matter not as a cancellation but as a postponement until it receives the required approval.
The SDT was slated to perform a series of contemporary and classical works on Friday and Saturday in Kuala Lumpur.
But the company was told on Tuesday by the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KL PAC) that its permit had not been approved.
KL PAC, which is the performance venue, had handled SDT's application.
In a statement released on Thursday, KL PAC said the required documentation was submitted personally to Puspal-Malaysia's Central Agency for the Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists.
The Agency comes under Malaysia's Information, Communication and Culture Ministry.
KL PAC said the application was rejected, citing 'Costuming' and 'Foreign Performers' as reasons.
But reports from Malaysia suggest the rejection was due to KL PAC not using proper procedures in its application.
"KL PAC, which is the presenting theatre, they're responsible for getting the performance permit. And twice before, we've gone there and performed, so it's always gone through without difficulties," said Mr Schergen.
"Since this isn't the first time we've done this, I'm sure that it was applied for in a way that was correct. I can't see how that could have been the problem."
Mr Schergen also dismissed speculation that they could not get visas for the performers, as well as suggestions in media reports of 'indecent costumes'.
"All the dancers have work visas in Singapore, they're all legally employed in Singapore... so it can't be visa issues. I'm sure it's not the costume... we had one programme in which all ballets had skirts that reached down to (the dancers') ankles," he added.
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I wished Malaysia will ban all Singaporeans from making money in Malaysia.
- to remind Singaporeans do not what you do unto your own .
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They should ban themselves. Save the people all the trouble.
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Times are bad.
