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Mirror concert accident: Hong Kong dancers shaken by incident, call for more protection on the job
- Loose terms of employment leave entertainment industry’s freelancers on their own if injured at work
- Veterans call for proper contracts, insurance coverage, a timeline to ensure payment for work done
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The tragic accident at a concert of Canto-pop boy band Mirror last month that left a dancer critically injured has prompted questions about welfare of performers in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.
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“Many dancers are afraid to speak up because they fear being labelled ‘troublemakers’ and losing job opportunities,” said Alan Wong Sui-lun, 36, a professional dancer and choreographer with 15 years’ experience.
He was one of the first in the industry to go on social media after the July 28 accident, saying performers needed better labour protection.
Dancer Mo Li Ka-yin, 27, suffered spinal cord injuries and has been in intensive care after a four-by-four-metre overhead video monitor weighing 560kg came loose and crashed onto the stage during the concert.
Telecoms firm PCCW, which owns MakerVille, one of the organisers of the Mirror concert, has promised to take care of the entire medical bill for Li, who faces the prospect of being paralysed from the neck down.
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