Uproar Down Under over twerking at navy warship launch

They were hired to perform at the unveiling of a new warship at an Australian naval base, but the only thing remotely military about the band of twerking dancers was their catchy name — 101 Doll Squadron.

The performance they staged, in which they gyrated and twerked to hip-hop music in front of an audience of senior military officers, caused a furore in Australia with critics saying it was inappropriate for the launch of a $2 billion warship.

Naval officers in crisp white uniforms appeared bewildered by the hip-thrusting dance show, which took place right in the heart of Sydney.

“What would Horatio Nelson think of this s--- show?” one government MP reportedly asked. Others said the Australian military had become “too woke.”

The dance troupe, consisting of seven women, performed their routine at the weekend dressed in tight black shorts and red crop tops in front of the new vessel, HMAS Supply.

The row took a further twist when it emerged that the ABC, Australia's national broadcaster, produced a report in which it showed the risqué performance being watched by a stony-faced David Hurley, the governor-general and the Queen's representative in Australia.

But he had not arrived at the event when the twerking routine was being performed and nor had another senior official that the ABC included in its report. The ABC apologized for splicing images of the officers with footage of the dance show.

The broadcaster also came under fire from the dancers, who said they were hurt by the controversy. Even the prime minister was dragged into the row. Scott Morrison said he was disappointed over the ABC's “misreporting.”

Phillip Thompson, a Liberal MP and former soldier, backed him up, saying: “We've gone a little bit woke over the past few years, and we can't afford to be doing that.”

He said a dance performance by scantily-clad women was not the right way to mark the launch of a new warship. “I don't think it's appropriate to be twerking,” he said.