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Event organisers slammed over dirty dancing
Event organisers agree common sense should guide the choice of variety acts at formal occasions after a hot Latin dance duo performed at a political book launch, leaving monks in the audience aghast and fearing worse was to come when the female dancer stripped off her outer costume halfway through the act.
One Buddhist monk walked out in protest and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa was seen to clutch his head when the sensational moment occurred, leaving the author, former Western Provincial Councillor Renuka Perera, fuming.
“(The performance) didn’t even suit the book I wrote,” complained Mr. Perera. The book, Digu Inimak, is about his political career and Mr Perera had advertised the event with its own Facebook page.
“I wasn’t expecting this type of performance,” said the former councillor, explaining he had been unaware of the entertainment lineup for his book launch at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.
“The clergy who came to that event were my acquaintances. The performance put me in an embarrassing situation because one of them actually left the place.”
The dancers had walked onto the stage wearing glittering costumes, the male in a shirt and tight-fitting pants and the female in a long coat. Halfway through the dance she unzipped the coat and flung it aside, finishing the act in revealing attire. The compere had announced the act was going to be “different”, and indeed it was for the audience of about 50 monks and other distinguished guests.
Mr. Perera said the dance act was not appropriate for the audience and criticised the event organisers for not giving sufficient attention to detail.
Provocative dance acts and other lurid performances at state and private events have created commotions on more than one occasion.
Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Ven. Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thero said he had walked out of such events several times.
There were many a red face in the audience as the entertainment segment of the book launch proceeded
“Once I was called to attend a prize-giving ceremony in Nugegoda. A dancing troupe performed at the event dressed in provocative attire. It was not suitable for that occasion where parents and children sat together to watch. Three other monks and I simply got up and left the place,” he said.
He had also walked out of a concert held to celebrate the Sinhala New Year where, he said, the organisers had played inappropriate songs and music, showing little consideration for the presence of clergy and elders present that day.
“It is very sad to see the country’s traditions and culture being ignored this way,” said Gnanasara Thero. A clear set of rules should be introduced for performances at public events and the Cultural and Arts Affairs Ministry should have a closer monitoring mechanism.
Renowned artiste Ravibandu Vidyapathi said that the success of a well-organised event lay in clear communication between the organiser, artiste and client.
“The artiste should have a clear understanding of what he is doing and who his audience is,” he added.
“There are young organisers and artistes now who don’t know what they are doing. They simply create acts that lack artistic value or meaning and perform them at cheap rates,” Mr Vidyapathi said.
Funtime Pvt Ltd Managing Director Imran Saibo, who has over 25 years of experience in the industry, agreed with these views.
Mr. Saibo said that there were a number of organisers around the country who just did what they wanted without proper preparation and consideration of what was expected of them. “In my opinion those who have a sincere passion for the industry do a good job while others only care about the money and be damned with decency and the rest,” he said.
Minister of Culture and Arts Affairs T. B. Ekanayake admitted that there were instances where inappropriate acts had been staged at state functions.
“We cannot make rules and regulations to prevent such happenings but only advise organisers to be mindful and sensitive to those who are present at such events,” the minister said