[Watch] Malaysian Doctor Got Burned During Langkawi Fire Dance, Calls For Regulation For Tourists’ Safety
Vivian Dominique was burned on her arm and leg when the fire dancer lost grip of the lit baton while walking through the crowd.
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A Malaysian woman, Vivian Dominique, warned holidaymakers planning to watch a fire dance performance after getting burned at a popular bar in Langkawi.
Posting on her Instagram account, Vivian said she sat in the second row on the beach and was watching the fire dancers perform when one of them accidentally dropped his lit baton on her.
He was walking through the crowd while twirling the fiery baton when it slipped from his grip and landed on her. He managed to quickly remove the baton, but the damage was done.
In the video, the fire dancers could be seen holding the fiery props in front of the people’s faces. Highly dangerous indeed!
Vivian said she was stunned at first and quickly realized she got burned on her leg and arm.
Since she was a doctor by profession, she knew what to do and quickly rushed to the toilet to run water on the burned area for about 20 minutes.
Vivian clarified that the incident took place last year but decided to share the video after going through her videos and seeing a similar incident on Little Red Book (XHS).
She hoped the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry would regulate such activities to ensure tourists’ safety.
Vivian told Says the performer did apologize to her. When she reported the incident to the bar, they told her they couldn’t take any action since the performers were external hires and not considered bar employees.
While no one came to her aid, she said the bar gave her a bucket of ice to soothe the burns. It was fortunate that she wasn’t covered up in long pants or a long dress or she could have been caught on fire.
According to Says, the bar allegedly offered to bring Vivian to a clinic but she refused.
Fire dance safety
In the comments, a netizen claimed that the fire dance at Langkawi beaches used to be performed by trained professionals.
However, things have allegedly changed due to the pandemic and the fire dance now seems to be performed by novices.
According to fire dance professionals abroad such as The Spinsterz, performers should take their safety and their audience’s safety into account.
This meant that fire dancers should perform at a safe distance from the crowd to avoid potential accidents. Even the dipping station, where they light their props, should be kept far away from the crowd.
To keep things safe, Melbourne-based fire dancer Jessy Spin recommended fire dancers mark out a performance space or ring known as the fire circle. The space could be marked out using a rope or LED rope light, which comes in handy at night.
Having a fire circle with ample space clearly marked out is important, especially when multiple fire dancers are performing together.
While it’s tempting to move around the crowd as part of crowd work, having a space marked out is still better so everyone can end the night safely and go home with good memories.
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