\n<\/p>\n
Members of the dance community first learnt about the changes several months ago when a fan who was filming performances was told by security to leave. Word quickly spread among videographers who work with the dance crews.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ms Ng said she was “a bit disheartened” by the new rules.<\/p>\n
“Even the online comments … they are also asking us to go back to our previous filming location. I think the audience really liked what we were doing when we were filming there,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Renee Han, a 25-year-old dance instructor also with Z-Axis, expressed disappointment but acknowledged it was Marina Bay Sands’ prerogative. “They are within their rights to do that. They own the place,” she said.<\/p>\n
Many Z-Axis dancers have been performing in public spaces for a long time and are accustomed to “getting chased out”, she added. “We take it in stride. We\u2019re appreciative that they let us use it for so long.<\/p>\n
“For me, I just enjoy dancing with my friends, and whether or not the location draws a huge crowd it\u2019s just a plus for me.”<\/p>\n
At its peak, four to five different crews would perform at the fountain. Dancers said they understood the new rules were partly to address crowd control concerns in the busy area.<\/p>\n
Ms Chong Yuki, 24, of Roxo Crew acknowledged the practical challenges that came with the fountain’s popularity, as dance groups’ lighting equipment and the crowds they attracted could obstruct tourists visiting the fountain and light show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of people who want to walk around, and because we place all the lights there, it can block people\u2019s way. When I saw that there\u2019s too many groups, I would feel a bit paiseh,\u201d she said, using the Singlish term expressing embarrassment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n