…Researched and contributed by Jack Sylva.
A German dance troupe for female pensioners, AWO Ballet, has been accused of cultural insensitivity and banned from wearing Egyptian pharaoh outfits in their upcoming show.
The group was formed in the 1980s to provide women over 60 with the opportunity to socialise and dance.
Their performance, “World Cruise on the Dream Ship,” at the Mannheim garden show was planned with 14 costumes, including Japanese kimonos, Indian saris, Mexican sombreros, and pharaoh outfits, but six of the costumes were met with criticism.
Controversy Over Cultural Insensitivity
The garden show intervened, citing concerns that the costumes could offend the local audience.
On pictures posted on the group’s website, they can be seen dancing in their various outfits.
The group’s leader, Erika Schmaltz, expressed shock at the intervention, claiming that the costumes were just normal carnival costumes worn to have fun.
Group’s Response to the Ban
The group insisted that they would wear all of their costumes or not perform at all since they had prepared for the show for months.
The garden show eventually offered a compromise, allowing the women to wear all their costumes except the sombreros, the wigs they had planned to wear with kimonos for their Japanese dance, and removing the gold and blue elements for their pharaoh outfits to make them look like “modern workers.
” The group doubled down on wearing their kimonos since they were expensive, and Schmaltz questioned why they were allowed to wear the poncho and not the sombrero, calling the decision ludicrous.
Garden Show Response
To make up for removing some of their costume parts, the garden show moved the group’s seven performances to their main stage.
However, the show will end with an audience discussion, during which people can express their views on the costumes.
For future performances, the group plans to go back to wearing their sombreros and dark-haired wigs.
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding AWO Ballet’s costumes highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity and respect.
While the costumes were intended for fun and entertainment, they were met with criticism and accused of cultural insensitivity.
The compromise reached by the garden show allowed the group to continue with their performance but required some modifications to their costumes.
In the future, it is important for groups to consider the cultural implications of their costume choices to avoid similar controversies.