Top Iranian Dancer Detained (More like arrested).

Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | December 29, 2003 | Najida

[najida]

Top Iranian dancer detained

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's best-known female dancer and 24 of her students have been detained on charges of dancing in public -- for an all-female audience, her husband said yesterday.

Although there are no written laws against dancing, Iran's hard-line clerics have banned the activity, which they consider a promotion of moral corruption.

Farzaneh Kaboli and 24 of her students were detained Wednesday night as they were performing folk dances during the second night of a two-week program at Tehran's prestigious Vahdat Hall, Hadi Marzban said.

Marzban said the students were freed yesterday after signing statements pledging not to perform again, but Kaboli was taken to Evin Prison, north of Tehran.

"It was a program of rhythmical movements displaying folk dance of various provinces of Iran to an all-female audience. The program had been authorized by the Culture Ministry," a distressed Marzban told The Associated Press.

Marzban said efforts by pro-reform government authorities failed to prevent police from taking Kaboli to prison.

She has not yet been charged.

Judicial officials were not available for comment, as yesterday is the first day of the weekend in Iran.

[najida]

To get an idea of what the performance may have been like, here is her web page . Basically covered from nose to toes folk, for an all female audience.

The 'Arts Police' of the Middle East are notorious for these kinds of antics (approving something, then arresting the performer afterwards). In Egypt, it is usually fines, but Iran has a very nasty history.

This is the second dancer arrested in the last year in Iran (the other was male). The past history of prison treatment for 'public performers' includes shaving the dancer's head and flogging them daily on the legs and hips to remind them of their sin.

There is also a pre-performance related article here . Don't freak, it is Mother Jones, but very on the money.

[Buell_X1-1200]

Reminds me of that town in the movie "Footloose".

"I just want to dance!"

[najida]

Some people (and cultures) respond pretty negatively to dance. If you are moving your body (and having fun) then it must be bad.

What is ironic about this is that she is preserving the dances of Iran that have been passed down for centuries.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The regime cares nothing for Persia's history and culture.

[ArrogantBustard]

She's preserving a culture that predates the 'slammies by many centuries. The towelheads can't handle that. Remember the Taliban shooting up Buddha statues in Afghanistan?

[eastforker]

Watched a docu drama about music in Afghanistan after 20 years of war and taliban and communist rule,absolutley amazing what they went through.