{"id":21680,"date":"2022-11-30T14:27:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T06:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/?p=21680"},"modified":"2024-04-17T12:13:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T04:13:00","slug":"dancing-with-danger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/2022\/11\/dancing-with-danger\/","title":{"rendered":"Dancing with Danger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Freelance dancers in Hong Kong risk their lives performing on stage. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Cynthia Chan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dancers\u2019 safety on stage has been the talk of the town after a dancer was critically injured when a giant LED screen fell during a July concert by boy band Mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But accidents are not unusual according to Wong Ka-lam*, who was one of the dancers at the concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The freelance dancer says he was nearly injured in a stage rehearsal for a commercial dance show when stage fireworks were launched out from a device next to him years ago. But the 23-year-old forced himself to stay calm and kept the show going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also saw many nails scattered around on a performance stage during rehearsals. There was no one to help even if we reported those dangerous stage set-ups!\u201d Wong says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dancer Mo Li Kai-yin, 27, was critically injured when a four-by-four-metre screen weighing over 500 kg fell onto the stage during Mirror\u2019s concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum on July 28 this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Li has since been hospitalised and is at risk of being paralysed as 95 per cent of his neck spinal nerve may not be able to recover fully. He can speak but cannot move or eat or drink properly at the moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of a substandard cable, poor installation and misstating the weight of devices were found to be the main causes of the accident, according to an investigation report<\/a> on the concert accident released by an interdepartmental task force led by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department on November 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report stated the weight of the display screens was understated 2.7 times by the production contractor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Hong Kong Coliseum where Mo Li Kai-yin was injured in Mirror\u2019s concert in July 2022.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Wong says it is common that organisers take no corresponding action even when dancers report dangerous stage set-ups to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Labour Department stated on November 11 that Li was hired as an employee, but the employer did not report his work injury nor buy insurance for him. The department is considering prosecuting the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, concert organisers MakerVille and Music Nation Group replied to the media\u2019s enquiries that they have bought insurance for all performers. They promised to \u201cpay for the medical expenditure of injured dancers and provide them with other support”, according to a joint statement released by the two companies on October 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wong points out dancers\u2019 safety and protection have never been the concern of any people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do not know any policy that can protect freelance dancers\u2019 rights. It is a common practice for us to make job arrangements solely by verbal agreement,\u201d Wong says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Without a signed contract, dancers might be classified as self-employed persons by law and are not entitled to any protection for wage, insurance or leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCompanies do not cover our medical expenses, so we pay it ourselves,\u201d Wong adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wong has been performing in commercial shows and teaching dance classes for almost three years. Before being a full-time dancer, he used to attend dancing lessons for more than 15 hours a week as a university student. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite all his hard work, he only makes about HK$7,000 (US$892) a month as a dance tutor and a show performer, which is less than half of Hong Kong\u2019s median income at HK$17,500 (US$2,230) due to strong competition for jobs in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another freelance dancer, 26-year-old Tang Wai-ki*, says <\/em>salaries of dancers have not changed over the past 10 years. For each night of performance, a dancer earns around HK$4,000 (US$510). They get no pay for the time they spend on dance learning, extra practicing and stage rehearsal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She explains that the supply of dancers\u2013from secondary students to middle-aged professionals\u2013is abundant, and the younger ones are willing to accept lower wages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from dancing techniques, Tang says dancers have to make their own costumes, do make-ups, and design stage lighting and stage formation. They are expected to be a \u201cone-man band\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they rarely demand better treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do not want others to regard us as \u2018troublemakers\u2019, because it affects our career prospects,\u201d Tang says, which also explains why most dancers refuse to reveal their identity in interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Tang Yung-kei* teaching a dance showcase class that performed in August 2022, with Tang handling choreography, stage formation, costume and lighting of the 3-minute dance herself.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Limited Help<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Libby Cheung Wai-ting, Secretary of the Hong Kong Theatre Practitioners\u2019 Union, says many dancers in Hong Kong know little about their labour rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union helps dancers to voice out their needs to the government. They have around 200 professional dancers as members and each pays an annual membership fee of HK$250 (US$32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are no corresponding policies to protect freelance dancers\u2019 rights\u2026 as no one treats dancing as a proper career,\u201d Cheung says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hong Kong dancers are often regarded as stage props serving the stars of the show, she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheung says there are no existing safety guidelines on stage set-ups and electricity use in venues to safeguard performers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The July accident shocked many Hongkongers and safety concerns for dancers has been lifted, but Cheung believes change may not come soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHong Kong people are good at forgetting\u2026 even though (the serious injury of Li) Mirror\u2019s concert has raised public\u2019s awareness, it will eventually fade away, sooner or later,\u201d Cheung says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A staff member from the Hong Kong Coliseum, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells Varsity <\/em>that the coliseum cannot inspect every minor detail to ensure the safety of devices though contractors use low-quality materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The staff member adds that Hong Kong falls behind other western countries like the United States, which have established comprehensive systems and unions to protect the rights of dancers. He points out those unions negotiate fair contracts in terms of working hours and stage safety for dancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Hong Kong Theatre Arts Practitioners Union voiced out for dancers after Mirror\u2019s concert accident in July this year.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gloomy future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five people\u2013senior employees of the main contractor Engineering Impact and subcontractor Hip Hing Loong Stage Engineering Company\u2013were arrested on suspicion of fraud and a charge of allowing an object to fall from height in the Mirror concert. They are now released on bail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigation report also suggested measures to improve stage safety, such as an increase in both the inspection of stage installations and performers\u2019 stage rehearsal time. But no concrete actions have been taken yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Labour Department advised dancers to \u201cunderstand clearly the mode of cooperation and clarify whether he or she is engaged as an employee or a contractor or a self-employed person before entering into a contract\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDancers who have entered into a contract of self-employment involuntarily can approach the department for assistance,\u201d the department added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Names changed at the request of interviewees<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edited by Gloria Chan and Leung Pak-hei
Sub-edited by Ella Lang <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Freelance dancers in Hong Kong risk their lives performing on stage. By Cynthia Chan Dancers\u2019 safety on stage has been the talk of the town after a dancer was critically injured when a giant LED screen fell during a July concert by boy band Mirror. But accidents are not unusual according to Wong Ka-lam*, who was one of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":21681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2178,7],"tags":[2012,1252],"class_list":["post-21680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-november-2022","category-periscope","tag-dancers","tag-labour-rights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21680"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21680\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21709,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21680\/revisions\/21709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}