Racy Snow White is just too hot for mainland youngsters
Hong Kong is said to differ from the mainland, and here is the latest proof. What was seen as a beautifully choreographed contemporary ballet in Hong Kong will carry an 'adults only' rating when it is staged in Guangzhou.
The show is Snow White, performed by the French dance troupe Ballet Preljocaj. The spectacular interpretation from choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, featuring some wild and imaginative costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, was staged in Hong Kong last weekend as part of the annual Le French May Arts Festival.
It was an inspiring show, as Preljocaj challenged the concept of Snow White, mostly moulded by Walt Disney's 1937 animated version. A string of erotic dance sequences and revealing costumes that barely covered the princess' body conveyed the symbolic meanings of power and desire hidden in the Grimm Brothers' classic, but they were largely ignored in Disney's version.
The despairing duet between the Prince, not riding a white horse, with the comatose body of Snow White after she was fed the poison apple by the wicked queen, was heart-breaking enough to move some in the audience to tears.
No, the Prince was not a stranger and did not just happen to walk by, kissing Snow White accidentally. It takes time to realise love.
Some parents certainly knew that this version of Snow White, which won a Crystal Globe for the Best Dance Show of the Year in 2009, would have been a great lesson for children. Many youngsters were to be seen among a good mix of audience at last Sunday's afternoon show at the Cultural Centre.
However, the brilliant performance has been branded unsuitable for mainland children when it tours Guangzhou next week.
The theatre has 'strongly advised' the public that the show is not suitable for those under 18 years, as the passionate kissing scenes and Gaultier's costume that showed some of Snow White's legs and posterior, were 'bad' for youngsters.
Since there is no categorisation of performing arts shows in China, it is not illegal for children to see the show, but with the highly publicised racy costumes, the auditorium in Guangzhou will most likely be occupied by middle-aged men.
