Questions of ‘moral economy' and ‘obscenity' have affected a large group of ‘stage dance performers' whose livelihood is at the crossroads after police authorities citing the above have gone for a blanket ban on stage programmes.
Madurai being a colourful and vibrant city has always proved to be the centre for any form of cultural edifice associated with entertainment and politics.
Stage dancers of Madurai, who have been performing for more than three decades, have become victims of the modern forms of ‘sanitization' of cultural entertainment.
These performers associated to the Southern Districts Stage Dance Artistes' Welfare Association staged a one-day token fast on Monday at Kaalavasal here, demanding the authorities to lift the ban and allow them to perform.
Dance and music for a long time have been a basic element in the everyday life of Tamils, almost all functions have any one form of entertainment or the other.
Stage dancers here had been entertaining political platforms, marriage gatherings, temple events etc to eke out a livelihood, but citing one or two incidents where trouble had broken at temple festivals a complete ban was unwarranted, the artistes said.
Repeated representations to the City Police Commissioner and Superintendent of Police promising to remove any form of erotic content in the dances and other performances went in vain and so they planned a protest, said an artiste.
When dance shows dominate all the satellite television channels, why are we prevented from dancing to make a living? Was the moot question put forth by the dancers.
With the artistes dressed up as Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, former CM M. Karunanidhi, Leader of Opposition Vijaykant and superstar Rajnikanth, the fast evoked a lot of response from onlookers and road users who stood for a minute or to get a glimpse of the protest.
