My youngest daughter Maggie (5) had her dance concert this weekend. She’s been going to ballet lessons most Saturday mornings throughout the year and this was the big finale.
The dance academy is very professional and has an excellent reputation across all year levels.
Some of the students have gone on to be professional stage performers.
The end-of-year-concert is a gala occasion for the studio and the dancers. The preparations are very thorough and intense.
As parents we look forward to it, but we’re also rather relieved when it’s all over.
One aspect that disappoints me, however, is the ban on video recording in the theatre.
I understand there should be restrictions on filming and photography, but I don’t accept or agree with the reason we were given.
That is, it would breach the Child Protection Act.
I don’t know if this is true. If it is, it’s a sad reflection on what’s happened to our society, or possibly an example of political correctness gone mad.
I can accept banning photography back stage and flash photography in the theatre.
I can accept banning video recording from a standing position. It’s ugly to have eager dads forming an amateur media scrum at school concerts or the like.
But what is wrong with filming from your seat with a mobile phone or a web-standard video camera?
The theatre is a public place, holding about 500 people. The children who perform there are doing so in public.
I’d be disappointed if it’s true that the Child Protection Act bans this practice.
PS: The studio does provide a professional recording of the whole performance for a fee. It’s not the same though as being able to zoom in on your daughter.
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Yeah. I agree. I think that’s probably taking things way too far. What next? They outlaw any videotaping in public places?
It’s like in Judaism where the rabbis build a “fence around the law.” You take something simple like don’t boil a calf in it’s own mother’s milk (which would be pretty awful)….and suddenly it’s anally avoiding ANY mix of dairy and meat.