An Argentine dance troupe has performed a bizarre Holocaust themed routine on a major reality show in the country.
A group of dancers from AB Dance School in Buenos Aires, Argentina performed on reality show Argentina's Got Talent on Sunday night.
The dancers portrayed a Nazi concentration camp, dressing in striped pyjamas with yellow stars before appearing in nude underwear. Sound effects of people screaming could be heard in the background.
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The troupe performed on Got Talent Argentina (Photo: Got Talent Argentina/YouTube)
Some of the dancers are part of Argentina's Jewish community and have had family members who suffered or died in the Holocaust.
Prior to the start of the performance, one of the perform explained to the audience and judges: “We are dressed like this because our choreograph is based on World War II and the Jewish genocide [Holocaust].
“Many of us have had family members who suffered in the Holocaust so we chose to address this issue as a form of tribute.”
La Escuela AB se presentó con una coreografía de contemporáneo inspirada en la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
— Got Talent Argentina (@gottalentarg) September 4, 2023
👉🏼Mirá la performance completa y seguí #GotTalentArgentina en https://t.co/e0Jk6KeKYR pic.twitter.com/TlwaX9lhDS
After the two-minute performance, the judges consisting of Argentine singer La Joaqui, Uruguayan dancer Emir Abdul Gani, Argentine actress María Florencia Peña and Argentine songwriter Abel Pintos praised the group.
La Joaqui said: “I thought it was spectacular. It is very serious to portray such wounds and broadcast them on live television. I congratulate you, you are very special.”
Gani added: “The performance was incredible”. Abel said the choreographer took a “ very big risk” in shouldering the responsibility of telling such a delicate story through children.
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The judges mostly praised the performance (Photo: Got Talent Argentina/YouTube)
The dance troupe passed on to the next round of the competition, but the performance divided opinion on social media.
One person said on Twitter: “In my opinion, it seems to me that even though they do it with responsibility and commitment, the Holocaust is not a topic to be choreographed.
“I don't know, as a Jew it seemed like a trivialisation of the topic.”
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The group performed on Sunday night (Photo: Got Talent Argentina/YouTube)
A second said: “How disrespectful. There are a thousand ways to honour a genocide without trivialising it. What's wrong with them [the group]?”
A third questioned: “I wonder when it crosses your mind to do a Holocaust-themed dance?”
Praising the performance, a fourth said: “I must be the only person who was really moved by that performance. It is not something that touches me closely as far as I understand, but it gave me goosebumps.”
