Hong Kong Ballet’s 2017/18 Season Finale
Wheeldon, Ratmansky, McIntyre and The Beatles
Featuring an original rock ballet set to classic Beatles songs
Ballet PLUS+ enters its second year to promote contemporary ballet for all
[Hong Kong – 28 March 2018] As the curtain falls on its 2017/18 Season, Hong Kong Ballet proudly presents a historic triple-bill programme showcasing its seamless blend of vitality, technical precision and grace, offering audiences a unique opportunity to rediscover the charm and unlimited possibility of contemporary ballet.
Wheeldon, Ratmansky, McIntyre and The Beatles features three of today’s most influential choreographers’ works. Critically acclaimed Christopher Wheeldon’s jazz-infused Rush will be Hong Kong Ballet’s first Wheeldon ballet. Rush promises an unforgettable experience in music visualized through the complexity of human bodies in motion, displaying a wide range and breadth of skill and artistry.
Alexei Ratmansky’s charming one-act ballet Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) bursts with colour, humour and incredible acrobatic performances! Le Carnaval des Animaux features a whimsical menagerie of animals brought to life with leaping, balancing, spinning and clowning to Camille Saint-Saen’s exciting, melodic score.
The line-up also includes Trey McIntyre’s refreshingly original rock ballet A Day in the Life set to a medley of 12 classic songs by the Beatles, brimming with nostalgia, soul and playful exuberance. Visually and rhythmically impactful, this emotional work artfully blends street smarts and classical radiance in a unique way that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Ballet PLUS+
Following the success last year, Ballet PLUS+ enters its second year in its two-year audience development initiative to promote contemporary ballet, with mixed bill productions as the destination main stage performances. The series of symposium, films, workshops and discussions provides insights about the works and the choreographers’ creation processes. Ballet PLUS+ aims to cultivate Hong Kong audiences’ interest and appreciation for contemporary ballet and grow audiences for it.In addition to providing training to nurture, collaborate and challenge the artistic growth of local choreographers and dancers with internationally renowned choreographers, Ballet PLUS+ also establishes a platform for intellectual discourse and social engagement with ballet while expanding our outreach and the breadth of our audiences at large. For more details, please visit hkballet.com/balletplus
Rush (Asian Première)
Critically acclaimed Christopher Wheeldon’s jazz-infused Rush explodes with both order and symmetry at breakneck speed, with its flowing movements sharply contrasting with angular lines. Wheeldon, choreographer of the hit Broadway/West End musical An American in Paris, delivers an unforgettable display of exhilarating skill and artistry as bodies jubilantly catapult through space in kaleidoscopic formations to Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů’s spirited Sinfonietta La Jolla, delighting both classical and modern dance audiences alike.
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Composer: Bohuslav Martinů
Scenic and Costume Design: Jon Morrell
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley
Le Carnaval des Animaux
“It was splendidly performed, with the dancers romping through the technical difficulties and bringing out the comedy." Natasha Rogai, South China Morning Post, on Le Carnaval des Animaux
A charming and fun one-act ballet by internationally acclaimed choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, Le Carnaval des Animaux brings a whimsical menagerie of animals to life. Enjoy as the dancers enact animals including elephants, jellyfish and lions while combining these movements withan impressive classical ballet technique. An exciting and sweet score by Camille Saint-Saëns, divided into 14 movements, completes this ballet.
Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky
Assistant to the Choreographer: Betsy Erickson
Music: Camille Saint-Saëns
Set and Costume Design: Sandra Woodall
Original Lighting Design: Kevin Connaughton
Re-lighting: Alice Kwong
A Day in the Life (Asian Première)
With its soulful medley of 12 classic Beatles songs, Trey McIntyre’s emotional A Day in the Life whisks you off on a journey that is in turns humorous, reflective, boisterous and filled with inventive ballet movements that expertly blend street smarts with classical radiance. Engagingly direct, McIntyre’s spirited choreography celebrates life, packing a powerful visual and rhythmic punch with its playful and ultimately revitalizing energy layered in the Beatles’ iconic music.
Choreography: Trey McIntyre
Music: The Beatles
Costume Design: Lisa Secaris
Lighting Design: Nicholas Phillips
Choreographers
Christopher Wheeldon
Internationally acclaimed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon first trained at The Royal Ballet School and then joined the Royal Ballet in 1991 and New York City Ballet (NYCB) in 1993, where he was named Soloist in 1998. He was the first-ever Artist in Residence for NYCB in 2000/01 and became Resident Choreographer in 2001. In 2007, he founded Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and was appointed Associate Artist at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. Currently, he is Artistic Associate for The Royal Ballet.
Wheeldon’s works have won the Benois de la Danse, were part of the London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony and have been presented by many world renowned ballet and opera companies.
His many successes include the Martin E. Segal Award, American Choreography Award, Dance Magazine Award, London Critic’s Circle Award, Olivier Award, Leonide Massine Prize, Tony Award for Best Choreography and an Outer Critics Award for Best Choreography and Direction. In 2016, Wheeldon was made an Honorary Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Science and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Alexei Ratmansky
Born in St Petersburg, Russia, Alexei Ratmansky trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow. He was a Principal Dancer with Ukrainian National Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet and has choreographed ballets for top international companies. He is currently Artist in Residence at the American Ballet Theatre.
Ratmansky was Artistic Director at the Bolshoi Ballet during 2004-2009 and choreographed The Bright Stream (2003), the Soviet-era Flames of Paris (2008) and more. Under his direction, the Bolshoi Ballet was named ‘Best Foreign Company’ in 2005 and 2007 by The Critics’ Circle in London.For American Ballet Theatre, his choreographic works included Waltz Masquerade, a ballet honoring Nina Ananiashvili’s final season (2009), The Nutcracker (2010), The Sleeping Beauty (2015), Serenade after Plato’s Symposium (2016), Whipped Cream (2017) and Songs of Bukovina (2017). His notable and award-winning choreography includes the State Ballet of Georgia’s production of Dreams of Japan (1998), the Royal Danish Ballet’s production of Anna Karenina (2005) and The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Aida (2009).
Trey McIntyre
Trey McIntyre is a renowned choreographer and photographer, whose choreographic works have been performed by Stuttgart Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City Ballet, The Washington Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and more.
Born in Kansas, US, McIntyre trained at North Carolina School of the Arts and Houston Ballet Academy. He started as Choreographic Apprentice for Houston Ballet in 1989 and later became the Company's Choreographic Associate. As a freelance artist for over 25 years, he has produced over 100 works.
McIntyre is a United States Artists Fellow and the recipient of numerous awards: Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters and grants for choreography from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2005, he founded his dance company Trey McIntyre Project with tremendous success. In 2014, the company transformed and has focused more on feature-length documentaries.
For his most recent works, please visit: patreon.com/treymcintyre
Performance Details
Programme
Christopher Wheeldon Rush
Alexei Ratmansky Le Carnaval des Animaux
Trey McIntyre A Day in the Life
1-3.6.2018 Fri 7:30pm | Sat 2:30pm & 7:30pm | Sun 2:30pm
4 performances
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
$1,000 (Limited VIP Tickets)
$680 $480 $280 $140 | * $340 $240 $140 $70
Tickets now available at URBTIX
*Available for full-time students, senior citizen aged 60 or above and people with disabilities
Ticketing Enquiries: 3761 6661
Credit Card Booking: 2111 5999
Internet Booking: www.urbtix.hk
Programme Enquiries: 2105 9724
Suitable for ages 6 and above
The presenter reserves the right to alter the programme and artists
The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 40 minutes including intermission(s)
Discounts
| 50% off | Full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities (Limited tickets for students and senior citizens available on a first-come, first-served basis. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts.) |
| 15% off | Friends of The Hong Kong Ballet |
| 10% off (First two tickets) | CCDC Dance Inspirations card holders, Members of Chung Ying Theatre’s Energy Fun Club Plus, Friends of HKCO, Friends of HKDC Prestige Members, HK Phil Club Bravo members, Members of HKRep Pals, Zuni’s Friends, Fringe Club Members, Hong Kong Dance Alliance members, Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association members and HKBU Foundation members |
| Group Booking | 10% off for every purchase of 10-19 tickets at regular price, 15% off for 20-40 tickets |
Patrons can enjoy only one of the above discounts for each purchase.
Discounts are not applicable to $1,500 VIP tickets.
$1,000 VIP Ticket Holders Special Privilege
Present your ticket stub to Hong Kong Ballet’s reception counter (Level 2 Foyer, Hong Kong Cultural Centre) before the performance or during the intermission to receive a coupon for a free drink. Each ticket stub is valid for one free drink only.
| Champagne Partner | Make-Up Partner | |
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DOWNLOAD PRESS PHOTOS
[Click on the photo to download full image]
Photo 1: Wheeldon, Ratmansky, McIntyre and The Beatles promotional image | Dancers (from left): Li Jiabo, Forrest Rain Oliveros, Li Lin, Lucas Jerkander | Photographer: Ricky Lo
Photo 2: Rush | Dancers: Jahna Frantziskonis, Max Cauthorn | Photographer: Erik Tomasson |
Courtesy of San Francisco Ballet
Photo 3: Rush | San Francisco Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Erik Tomasson | Courtesy of San Francisco Ballet
Photo 4: Le Carnaval des Animaux | Hong Kong Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Conrad Dy-Liacco
Photo 5: Le Carnaval des Animaux | Dancers (from left): Li Jiabo, Gao Ge | Photographer: Conrad Dy-Liacco
Photo 6: A Day in the Life | Hong Kong Ballet Dancers | Photo Credit: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Photo 7: A Day in the Life | Li Jiabo and Hong Kong Ballet Dancers | Photo Credit: The
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Photo 8: Christopher Wheeldon, Choreographer of Rush
Photo 9: Alexei Ratmansky, Choreographer of Le Carnaval des Animaux
Photo 10: Trey McIntyre, Choreographer of A Day in the Life
About Hong Kong Ballet
An eclectic mix of talent, a balance of classical and contemporary works, and a unique repertoire are the trademarks of Hong Kong Ballet, Asia’s premier ballet company. Internationally recognised and acclaimed for its creativity, talent and artistry, the Company, led by Artistic Director Septime Webre, is committed to providing captivating experiences that delight and inspire audiences from all walks of life, both at home and abroad.
For further information, please contact:
Nick Chan
Director of Marketing
T: 2105 9716
M: 9728 1777
[email protected]
