The show presenter Danse Danse claims to be the victim of censorship by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Posts promoting the next show by the Marie Chouinard company were recently deleted because they featured topless dancers.
“I am appalled! It’s not new to see naked or partly naked bodies in the art world, particularly in contemporary dance, it’s very common. It still brings back all this questioning about the sexualization of bodies, ”laments in an interview the spokesperson for Danse Danse, Sheila Skaiem.
This is the trailer for the contemporary dance piece first “M” — presented next week in Quebec City, then in Montreal in early February — which was deleted from the broadcaster’s Instagram account, along with a warning.
The cover image of the Facebook page, also featuring the show, was also removed with the temporary ban on adding a new one, leaving the page with a plain gray background.
The reason given by Meta? These images violate its usage policy regarding “nudity and sexual activity”.
The Danse Danse team asked for a review of this decision, but without success, the verdict remained the same. “In the event of a repeat offense, our page will be completely banned,” says Sheila Skaiem.
At present, the rules of the multinational authorize the diffusion of images of shirtless men, but not those of women whose nipples would be seen. They provide for certain exceptions in health contexts, such as breastfeeding or sex reassignment surgeries. An exception is also granted in the case of “photographs of paintings, sculptures or other works of art representing naked figures”.
For Danse Danse, it is clear, considering the situation, that the rules defining what a work of art is are “fuzzy and arbitrary”.
“What to do next time? Censor the works ourselves? asks Sheila Skaiem, recalling how social networks have become an essential promotional tool for cultural companies.
Contacted by The duty, Marie Chouinard and the Compagnie Marie Chouinard indicate that they support Danse Danse in its approach and deplore the situation.
At the time these lines were written, Meta had not yet answered the questions of the To have to.