Hong Kong Cool: Ballet x Fashion
An Electrifying Outpouring of Creativity
[Hong Kong—16 January 2020] Celebrating a century of collaboration between ballet choreographers and fashion designers that first began with Coco Chanel and Ballet Russe, Hong Kong Ballet’s production of Hong Kong Cool Ballet x Fashion features new dance works with local fashion designers in an explosive outpouring of contemporary and classic creativity.
Co-presented by Freespace in the West Kowloon Cultural District as part of the Hong Kong Ballet in Residence 2020 programme, Hong Kong Cool Ballet x Fashion’s highlights include world premieres by Hong Kong dance legends Helen Lai and Yuri Ng as well as the Company’s Choreographer-in-Residence Hu Song Wei Ricky. Guests will be greeted by exciting short works in surprise locations activating Freespace and elevating their overall ballet experience. The evening also includes Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s award-winning Sombrerisimo and the Asian premiere of a new dance film by renowned London-based choreographer and filmmaker Corey Baker, shot all over Hong Kong with Hong Kong Ballet artists.
After the show, guests can continue the evening of creativity at Lau Bak Livehouse with drinks and additional dance works alongside the live band. Three performances will be staged at The Box, Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District during 6-8 February 2020. Tickets are priced at $300 and $200, and are now available at westkowloon.hk, Freespace and Xiqu Centre Ticket Offices, designated Tom Lee Music outlets (Olympian City, Shatin and Yuen Long) and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Programme
The Train (World Premiere)
Choreographer: Hu Song Wei Ricky
Moonlighting in GR3 (World Premiere)
Choreographer: Yuri Ng
If My Soul Has Fallen Away... (World Premiere)
Choreographer: Helen Lai
Fashion/Costume Designer: Vincent Li
Lying Together (Asian Premiere)—Dance Video
Choreographer: Corey Baker
Sombrerisimo
Choreographer: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Activating The Space
Wayfaring
Choreographer: Leung Chunlong
Fashion/Costume Designer: Alex Po, Derek Cheng
Qián Kūn
Choreographer: Li Lin
Fashion/Costume Designer: Alex Po, Derek Cheng
Borders
Choreographer: Yuh Egami
Fashion/Costume Designer: Aries Sin
dis-CONNECT
Choreographer: Luis Cabrera
Fashion/Costume Designer: Lam Hoi Sen
*Untitled
Choreographer: Forrest Rain Oliveros
Fashion/Costume Designer: Yeung Chin
*Barre at the Bar
Choreographer: Jessica Burrows
*Limits
Choreographer: Hu Song Wei Ricky
*Variation in Sneakers
Choreographer: Jessica Burrow
Fashion/Costume Designer: Yeung Chin
*Un Hombre
Choreographer: Luis Cabrera
Some of the costumes featured in Hong Kong Cool: Ballet x Fashion were initially created for “WearDance”, a project sponsored by Create Hong Kong under the CreateSmart Initiative
*Works to be performed in LNHR
About the Artists
Helen Lai, Choreographer
Veteran Hong Kong choreographer and seven-time winner at the Hong Kong Dance Awards for her choreographic works, Helen Lai was the Artistic Director of City Contemporary Dance Company from 1985 to 1989 and Resident Choreographer during 1991-2011. Accolades include Badge of Honour from the Queen of the United Kingdom in 1995, Medal of Honour by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2000, Choreographer of the Year from Hong Kong Artists’ Guild (1990), a Distinguished Achievement Award at the 2002 Hong Kong Dance Awards, Award for Arts Achievement (Dance) in 2003 and Outstanding Contribution in Arts Award in 2015 from Hong Kong Arts Development Awards and an Honorary Fellowship from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in July 2004. ©Mr So Photography
Yuri Ng, Choreographer
Hong Kong choreographer Yuri Ng is Co-Artistic Director of Yat Po Singers. His accolades include Artist of the Year Award – Choreographer from Hong Kong Artists’ Guild in 1997, the Prix d’Auteur at the 6th Rencontres choregraphiques internationales de Seine-Saint-Denis (Bagnolet), Hong Kong Dance Awards (HKDA) for Outstanding Choreography in 2000 and 2019, Distinguished Achievement Award at 2012 HKDA and Award for Best Artist (Dance) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2013. His works for Hong Kong Ballet include Butterfly Lovers (1998), Yeah Yeah Xi Men Qing (2006), Firecracker (2011), The Frog Prince – A Ballet Chinois (2013) and the popular Ballet Classics for Children series: Swan Lake (2012), Cinderella (2013) and The Sleeping Beauty (2016). ©Yvonne Chan
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Choreographer
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa has created works for over 50 companies worldwide, including New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Compañia Nacional de Danza de Espana, Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Joffrey Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Scottish Ballet and The Washington Ballet. A graduate of the Royal Ballet School of Flanders, she danced for 12 years, including as a soloist at Scapino Ballet, before focusing solely on choreography. In 2010 the Temecula Performing Arts Examiner wrote: “Ochoa is truly a masterful choreographer with an edge for what dance can and should be in this constantly changing industry.”
Corey Baker, Choreographer
Originally from New Zealand and currently based in London, Corey Baker is an award-winning choreographer and filmmaker, celebrated for his innovation and commitment to driving dance into the 21st century. Fuelled by a passion that dance is for everyone, Corey takes dance out of traditional settings and makes dance for stadiums, skyscrapers, parks, playgrounds, rugby fields, TV, film and even Antarctica.
While dancing for many acclaimed companies and choreographers worldwide, Corey started Corey Baker Dance in 2010 to create inventive and relevant contemporary and ballet works across stage and screen.
In 2018, Corey became the resident choreographer at Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Hu Song Wei Ricky, Choreographer
Born in Jiangxi, China, Hu Song Wei Ricky trained at Shanghai Dance School, LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Hu joined Hong Kong Ballet as a dancer in 2008 and becomes Choreographer-in-Residence in the 2019/20 season. He has been invited to choreograph for Hong Kong Arts Festival, Shanghai International Arts Festival, Chinese Dance for 12 Days, National University of Singapore Arts Festival, Hong Kong Ballet and more. His Bolero (2015) with Yuh Egami won Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the Hong Kong Dance Awards 2016. Hu received the Award for Young Artist (Dance) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2012.
Jessica Burrows, Choreographer
Born in Stouffville, Canada, Jessica Burrows graduated from Canada's National Ballet School and danced with The National Ballet of Canada before joining Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) in 2010. She was promoted to Coryphée in 2015, joined Boston Ballet in 2017 as an Artist and returned to HKB in 2019.
With HKB, Burrows has been featured in works by Jorma Elo, Val Caniparoli, Alexei Ratmansky, Terence Kohler, Wang Xin Peng, Kinsun Chan, George Balanchine and Marius Petipa, among others. With Boston Ballet, she performed principal and soloist roles in Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, William Forsythe’s Pas Parts and Sage Humphries’ YOU, to name a few. Burrows danced in Natalia Makarova's Giselle during exchange performances with The Royal Swedish Ballet in 2013.
Luis Cabrera, Choreographer
Born in Marikina, Philippines, Luis Cabrera danced with Ballet Manila and Ballet Philippines before attending The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where he graduated in 2015. Cabrera joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet the same year and became Coryphée in 2019.
With Hong Kong Ballet, Cabrera has danced the featured roles of Fritz and Italian Doll in Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Birbanto in Anna-Marie Holmes’ Le Corsaire, Peter Pan in Septime Webre’s Peter Pan and performed in Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, John Meehan's Swan Lake and Yuh Egami and Hu Song Wei Ricky’s The Rite of Spring. He choreographed With-IN in 2017.
Li Lin, Choreographer
Born in Zhejiang, China, Li Lin trained at Beijing Dance Academy. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2010 and was named Soloist in 2014.
Since joining the Company, Li has presented choreographic works at Hong Kong Ballet’s Choreographers’ Showcase, including Break Away (2014), Follow Your Heart (2016) and The Bow (2017). He danced Pas de Deux from Krzysztof Pastor’s In Light and Shadow with Liu Miaomiao at the International Ballet Festival of Havana in 2014 and won second prize at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2009.
Yuh Egami, Choreographer
Yuh Egami graduated from The Royal Ballet School in London and joined Hong Kong Ballet in 2002. He assumed the additional role of Repetiteur for the Company in 2014, was appointed as Assistant Ballet Master in 2018 and became Ballet Master in 2019.
Egami was an Associate Choreographer to Yuri Ng in his full-length work Firecracker in 2010. Together with Hu Song Wei, Egami has co-choreographed several full-length works for the Company—The Frog Prince-A Ballet Chinois in 2013 (as associate choreographer to Ng), Bolero in 2015, Carmen in 2017 and most recently, The Rite of Spring in 2019. His work Bolero (2015) with Hu won Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the 2016 Hong Kong Dance Awards.
Leung Chunlong, Choreographer
Born in Hong Kong, Leung Chunlong graduated from Beijing Dance Academy in 2009 and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2011, with a concentration in ballet. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet the same year and was named Coryphée in 2014.
Leung has danced many principal and featured roles with Hong Kong Ballet including Fritz and Rat King in Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Pinocchio in Pär Isberg’s Pinocchio and Nick Carraway (as dancer) in Septime Webre’s The Great Gatsby. His choreographic works included tʃHey (2016), L’espoir (2017) and [I] (2018). Leung received an Outstanding Performance Award at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2003.
Forrest Rain Oliveros, Choreographer
Born in Tennessee, US, Forrest Rain Oliveros trained at Ballet Tennessee, Ellison Ballet and The Ailey School in the US. He danced with Charlotte Ballet and other companies before joining Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2017.
With Hong Kong Ballet, Oliveros has performed featured roles of Rat King and Russian Doll in Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker and danced in Alexei Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval des Animaux, among others.
Vincent Li, Fashion/Costume Designer
Growing up in the vibrant city of Shanghai, China, Vincent Li trained as a dancer from a young age. After a period of study in information technology and work in Australia, he decided to return to re-enter the quixotic art world and engage with fashion design.
Li studied fashion in Melbourne and Hong Kong. In 2013, he went to London to work as an intern for J. W. ANDERSON. When he returned to Australia, he launched his personal design brand “VINCENT LI” in Melbourne in 2014.
Yeung Chin, Fashion/Costume Designer
Yeung Chin graduated from the University of Westminster with a master's degree in fashion design. In 2003, he won Hong Kong Design Centre’s YDC Special Mention award. From 2003-2006, he organised and participated in fashion shows during Hong Kong Fashion Week. He won a merit award in the 2009 Hong Kong Creative Centre young talent competition, and his work was exhibited at the “Cheers 2009” Exhibition in London. He also designed costumes for City Contemporary Dance Company. In 2015, he was invited by the Singapore Design Center to participate in the exhibition and also participated in Fashion Week in New York, Paris and Shanghai until 2017.
Lam Hoi Sen, Fashion/Costume Designer
SUN=SEN, pronounced as “SUNEQUALSEN”, is not only an art, but also a story-telling brand. SUN=SEN is ingrained with droll and playful designs. By using different workmanship, SUN=SEN collages a mélange of materials to create a strong and unique impression, which brings everyone to her creative world and details every interesting story.
Sun Lam graduated from the University of Southampton with a Master of Fashion Design with distinction in 2015. Her graduation collection was chosen as a finalist at the iD Dunedin International Emerging Designer Award 2016 and was selected to showcase at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. After her graduation, Lam works closely with British independent designers Martina Spetlova and Roberts Wood. In 2017, Lam and her partner were selected as one of the incubatees of Hong Kong Design Centre Design Incubation Programme. She was also chosen as one of the New Talents for the Paris Tranoi show.
Aries Sin, Fashion/Costume Designer
Fashion designer Aries Sin is the founder of MODEMENT, and her talent, expertise and unique design philosophy have been recognised in the world fashion market. Her accolades include “CreateSmart Young Design Talent Award” in 2019 from Hong Kong Design Centre, “Asian Top Fashion Designer of the Year (Prêt-a-Porte Category)” in 2014 from Fashion Asia China, one of Perspective magazine’s “40 Next Generation of Design Talents under 40” and a Bronze Award at the 2013 Design for Asia Awards.
From JOYCE Boutique's pop-up store to a six-month exhibition at Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Sin’s innovative designs have pushed the boundaries of creativity and culture.
Alex Po x Derek Cheng, Fashion/Costume Designer
PONDER.ER is the brainchild of creative duo Alex Po and Derek Cheng who met at Central Saint Martins in London. Their BA collections were both showcased at the press show, and Po then attended the Royal College of Art, specialising in men’s knitwear.
With a common interest in exploring the world of menswear through an alternative approach, PONDER.ER was formed in 2019 with the intention of challenging gender stereotypes and questioning social norms. A gender-fluid label born to expand and reinterpret contemporary men’s wardrobe through dissecting and reconstructing ideas inspired by traditional menswear, PONDER.ER finds objects and everyday experiences in urban cities.
Performance Details
6 - 8.2.2020 (Thu - Sat) 8:00pm
The Box, Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District
$300, $200
Tickets now available at westkowloon.hk, Freespace and Xiqu Centre Ticket Office, designated Tom Lee Music outlets (Olympian City, Shatin and Yuen Long) and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
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 15 minutes without intermission.
Discounts
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50% off |
Full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and a minder (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.) |
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15% off |
Friends of Hong Kong Ballet |
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10% off |
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 (Discounts only apply to standard tickets bought in person at the Xiqu Centre or Freespace ticket office and other outlets, and upon presentation of valid membership/staff cards.) |
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Group Booking |
Online group purchase of standard tickets in the same price for the same performance in one transaction: 10% discount for 10 to 19 tickets and 15% discount for 20 to 40 tickets. Over the counter/phone group booking of any performance at any standard ticket price in one transaction: 10% discount for 10 to 19 tickets and 15% discount for 20 to 40 tickets. This discount offer is only available at the Xiqu Centre and Freespace ticket offices and other outlets or by calling our ticketing hotline at (852) 2200 0022. |
Patrons can enjoy only one of the above discounts for each purchase.
HKB Upclose
Late Night Happy Hour
Extend the mood with food and drinks!
6 - 8.2.2020 (Thu - Sat) 9:20pm
Lau Bak Livehouse, Freespace, Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District
Tickets holders can enjoy a special discount for food and drinks at Livehouse. Please refer to information on hkballet.com/BITC and in the Livehouse.
Hong Kong Ballet in Residence 2020
The first year of Hong Kong Ballet’s residency at Freespace features creative four-day ballet experiences with live performances for audiences of all ages. Workshops, insightful talks and interactive sessions will take place alongside collaborative short works between Hong Kong-based choreographers and fashion designers to innovatively activate Freespace.
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Co-presenter |
Champagne Partner |
Make-Up Partner |
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Download High Resolution Images
[Press Ctrl and click on the thumbnails to download]
Photo 1: Hong Kong Cool: Ballet x Fashion promotional image | Dancers (from left): Zhang Xuening, Forrest Rain Oliveros, Ashleigh Bennett | Wardrobe: Anais Jourde | Creative: Design Army | Photographer: Dean Alexander | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 2: Corey Baker’s Lying Together | Dancers (from left): Forrest Rain Oliveros, Ma Renji, Amber Lewis, Chen Zhiyao, Li Jiabo
Photo 3: Corey Baker’s Lying Together | Dancers (from left): Li Jiabo, Amber Lewis, Ma Renji, Chen Zhiyao, Forrest Rain Oliveros
Photo 4: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Sombrerisimo | Hong Kong Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Conrad Dy-Liacco | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 5: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Sombrerisimo | Hong Kong Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Conrad Dy-Liacco | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 6: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Sombrerisimo | Hong Kong Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Conrad Dy-Liacco | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
About Hong Kong Ballet
One of Asia’s premier ballet companies, Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) is internationally recognised as a vibrant arts institution that represents Hong Kong’s unique character. Established in 1979 and led by Artistic Director Septime Webre, HKB has a dynamic repertoire performed by nearly 50 dancers from all over the globe and award-winning education and community programmes.
With almost 50 international tours, the Company has won recognition from critics and fans both at home and abroad. Its diverse repertoire includes classic and modern masterpieces, original full-length ballets created for the Company, an interactive ballet series for younger fans and groundbreaking dance by today’s most sought-after choreographers, including Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Jiří Kylian, Nacho Duato and Trey McIntyre, among others.
HKB maintains an active schedule of community initiatives throughout Hong Kong to ensure that ballet is accessible to people from all walks of life. The Company celebrates its 40th Anniversary Season in 2019/20.
About Freespace
Freespace is Hong Kong’s new centre for contemporary performance in the heart of the Art Park in the West Kowloon Cultural District, presenting multi-genre performances and events. It produces boundary-pushing collaborations and promotes new ways of seeing and experiencing performance. Freespace houses The Box, one of the largest black box theatres in Hong Kong, a flexible space for cutting-edge performances. Two multi-purpose spaces - The Room and The Studio - are designed to be used for creative exchange and artistic collaborations. Lau Bak Livehouse is an intimate bar café presenting live music from Hong Kong and around the world.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on forty hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances and cultural events, providing twenty-three hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
For further information, please contact:
Nick Chan
Director of Marketing
T: (852) 2105 9716
M: (852) 9728 1777
[email protected]
Eunice Ho
Assistant Marketing Manager
T: (852) 2105 9757
M: (852) 9189 2235
[email protected]
