One person’s art is another person’s graffiti, at least in the city of Langley. That’s what a group of dancers learned the hard way this week when they chalked abstract design on sidewalks around the city. Deborah Hay Dance Project members used chalk to draw the designs Thursday to promote the dance they are performing this weekend at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.

Though the markings were not permanent, Langley’s Mayor Lloyd Furman was not happy. He told troupe members he wanted the markings gone.

“Graffitti breeds graffiti, as far as advertising I think it’s cute,” Furman said when he confronted the dancers. “But there are kids roaming the streets here at night and seeing these might give them ideas. They could use spray paint which is not so easy to clean off buildings and sidewalks.”

The design is used in troop’s dance performance, a design they drew on sidewalks in six locations, is called “Beauty.”

Dance troupe members said they were not out to cause trouble.

“Our intention was to spark people’s curiosity, not controversy,” said Amy Windecker, one of the dancers and a former South Whidbey resident.

At Furman’s insistence, the dancers agreed to cleanup the sidewalks. They started in front of City Hall with a bucket of water, a push broom and a brush. The markings came up easily easily. But the cleanup wasn’t enough to solve the controversy between the mayor and the dancers.

The mayor thanked them for their effort in cleaning up the sidewalks, but more discussion ensued.

“This is pages different than spray paint,” Windecker told Furman. “I think it’s unfair to force people into a box.”

Windecker and Furman eventually walked away from each other, agreeing that neither would win over the other.

The Deborah Hay performance is scheduled from 4 and 9 p.m. tonight at WICA.