Hong Kong’s Art Freedom Further Eroded as Multiple Performances Canceled

“You can cancel my participation. I’m okay with that, but you cannot cancel the entire performance because of one person’s remarks,” said deaf dancer Jason Wong

Protesters walk next to a banner with the words "May Glory return to Hong Kong" in Hong Kong on Oct. 5, 2019. AP Photo/Vincent Thian

Hong Kong’s art freedom was further eroded as a stage production was canceled simply because the director once taught the sign language interpretation for a protest song.

Jason Wong, a deaf Hong Kong dancer and the founder of Hong Kong’s first deaf dance troupe, Fun Forest, announced on Feb. 15 that the stage production “Pulse of Unity,” for which he was serving as the choreographer and director, could not proceed as scheduled. The three performances initially planned for March 22-23 will be canceled.