Last Call:

Over 3,000 people enchanted by 
Swan Lake last week

Five performances with limited tickets left!

[Hong Kong – 22 Aug 2016] Hong Kong Ballet’s 2016/17 Season Opener, China Everbright proudly presents: Swan Lake, has already begun to rapturous applause! Over 3,000 people enjoyed the classical masterpiece last week, packing into a full house at each of the four performances at Yuen Long Theatre.

In her first appearance since returning to the Company from Korea, Principal Dancer Fei-fei Ye captivated audiences with her breathtaking techniques in the duel roles of Odette and Odile, while another Principal Dancer, Yu-yao Liu, also shone on stage in her Swan Queen première. Sharing the roles of Odile and Odette, respectively, Coryphée Ge Gao and Corps de Ballet member Zhi-yao Chen danced the lead roles in this enduringly popular ballet for the first time and were received with hearty applause. The heroic Prince Siegfried, alternately played by Principals Wei Wei, Jia-bo Li and Soloist Ryo Kato, the latter two making their débuts in this role, also dazzled enthusiastic spectators.

There will be five more performances of this crowd-pleasing favourite with live accompaniment by Hong Kong Sinfonietta at Hong Kong Cultural Centre from 26-28 August 2016. Making a special appearance, Guest Principal Dancer Jurgita Dronina (Principal Dancer of The National Ballet of Canada) will grace the stage on 27 and 28 August at the 7:30pm performances. Tickets are priced at $680, $480, $280 and $140, with VIP tickets at $1,000. Only limited tickets are left!

Cast List for Lead Roles:

Hong Kong Cultural Centre Performances

# Guest Principal Dancer, courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada

About Swan Lake
The story focuses on the beautiful Odette, who has been cursed by the evil Von Rothbart and can only take on human form at night; the curse can only be broken by a vow of true love. The handsome young Prince is enthralled by Odette, and they fall in love. At the Ball, Von Rothbart arrives with Odile, whom he has enchanted to look exactly like Odette. This tricks the Prince into believing that Odile is Odette, and he unintentionally vows to marry Odile the Black Swan. Broken-hearted, the White Swan Odette is reunited with the Prince by the lake for one last dance, sealing their eternal love and breaking Von Rothbart’s spell.

Original Choreography Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Additional Choreography John Meehan, Carlo Pacis, Selina Chau
Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Set and Costume Design Peter Farmer
Additional Costume Design Harvy Santos
Lighting Design Leo Cheung
Live Accompaniment Hong Kong Sinfonietta
Conductor Benjamin Pope

About Jurgita Dronina
Guest Principal Dancer of Hong Kong Ballet
Principal Dancer of The National Ballet of Canada

Born in Saratov, Russia, Jurgita Dronina graduated from the ballet school at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art in Vilnius, Lithuania and continued her study at the Munich International Ballet Academy in Germany under the directorship of Konstanze Vernon. She was a Principal Dancer with Royal Swedish Ballet and Dutch National Ballet before joining The National Ballet of Canada as Principal Dancer in 2015. Dronina joined Hong Kong Ballet as Guest Principal Dancer in 2015.

Among many other prominent roles, Dronina has danced Nykia in La Bayadère (Makarova, Asylmuratova), Kitri in Don Quixote (Ratmansky, Garofoli), Medora in Le Corsaire (Fadeyechev), Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty (Wright, Chalmer), Odette/Odile in Swan Lake (Conus, Holmes, Martins, van Dantzig, Bart, Petipa/Ivanov, Sergeyev/Kovaliova/Kunakova), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan, van Dantzig), as well as the title role in Giselle (Vinogradov, Beaujean/Bustamante after Co-ralli/Perrot, Wright), Cinderella (Wheeldon), Paquita (Petipa) and Sylvia (Neumeier). She has also danced Hermoine in Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale, Ratmansky’s On The Dnieper and Firebird, as well as Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Serenade, Symphony in C and Jewels.

Roles that have been created especially for Dronina include Queen Sofia Magdalena in Bart’s Gustav III , Arque’s Minos, Christe’s Moving Glass, Cherkaoui’s Labyrinth, Dawson’s day4 and Overture, Elo’s Shapes, van Manen’s Dances with Harp and Pastor’s The Tempest.

She has also performed as a guest principal artist with the Norwegian National Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, Opera dell Roma, Teatro San Carlo, Arena di Verona and at Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Festival in Russia.

Dronina has been awarded the gold prize at the International Ballet Competition in Grasse in 2003 and silver prizes at the International Ballet Competitions in Helsinki in 2005, Moscow in 2005 and Jackson in 2006.

Dronina has been the recipient of many awards. Highlights include the Dutch Zwaan Award in 2011 and the Alexandra Radius Prize in 2014 for her Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. The European Dance Magazine Dance Europe voted her as Outstanding Dancer of the season for four seasons (2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2014/15).

Performance Details
26-28.8.2016
Fri 7:30pm | Sat & Sun 2:30pm & 7:30pm
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
$1,000 (VIP tickets) $680, $480, $280, $140
Five performances with live accompaniment

Guest Appearance
Jurgita Dronina (Guest Principal Dancer, Hong Kong Ballet/Principal Dancer, The National Ballet of Canada)
27 & 28.8.2016 7:30pm

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 2 hours 30 minutes including two intermissions

Discounts

Patrons can enjoy only one of the above discounts for each purchase.
Discounts are not applicable to $1,000 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 end of intermission to receive a coupon for a free drink. Each ticket stub is valid for one free drink only.

15% off food and beverage at InterContinental Hong Kong
Ticket holders can enjoy 15% off food and beverage in all restaurants and bars at InterContinental Hong Kong before or after the performance upon presentation of their tickets on the performance date. For details, please call 2313 2323 or email to [email protected].

Programme Plus! at Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Pre-performance Talks
26.8.2016  Fri  6:50pm – 7:10pm [Conducted in Cantonese]
27.8.2016  Sat  1:50pm – 2:10pm [Conducted in English]
Level 2 Foyer, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Gain valuable insight into the production from the talented team working behind the scenes of Swan Lake! These informative talks feature artists and the members from the Company in conversation about the production. Whether you’re new to ballet or simply interested in hearing how music and movement come together, don’t miss out on this fascinating talk before the show to enhance your theatre experience!

Free admission with wan Lake ticket for Hong Kong Cultural Centre performances 

Pre-performance Workshop
27.8.2016  Sat 10:30am-11:30am
GR3, 8/F, Grand Theatre Backstage, Hong Kong Cultural Centre 
Fee: $80 each* | Quota: 40*10% discount for Friends of Hong Kong Ballet

Children ages 6-10 will love this up-close-and-personal encounter with Swan Lake through crafts, acting, story-telling, costume display and learning some of the ballet movement from the production! Discover the intricate details of the main characters’ shimmering costumes and examine the props used onstage during the performance. No previous dance experience is necessary.

Conducted in Cantonese and English Only for Swan Lake ticket holders or Friends of Hong Kong Ballet
Advance registration required
Registration Details: hkballet.com/workshop

Champagne Partner	Make-Up Partner

DOWNLOAD PRESS PHOTOS 

[Click on the photo to download full image] 

Photo 1: Swan Lake promotional image | Dancer: Yu-yao Liu | Photographer: Tim Wong

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Photo 2 Swan Lake promotional image | Dancer: Yu-yao Liu | Photographer: Tim Wong

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Photo 3: Swan Lake | Dancers: Fei-fei Ye and Wei Wei | Photographer: Tony Luk

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Photo 4: Swan Lake | Dancers: Fei-fei Ye and Wei Wei | Photographer: Tony Luk

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Photo 5: Swan Lake | Dancers: Zhi-yao Chen and Jia-bo Li | Photographer: Chi-wai Cheung

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Photo 6: Swan Lake | Dancer: Zhi-yao Chen | Photographer: Tony Luk

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Photo 7: Swan Lake | Dancers: Ge Gao and Jia-bo Li | Photographer: Tony Luk

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Photo 8: Swan Lake | Dancers: Ge Gao and Lucas Jerkander | Photographer: Tony Luk

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Photo 9: Jurgita Dronina, Guest Principal Dancer of Hong Kong Ballet and Principal Dancer of The National Ballet of Canada | Photographer: A. Antonijevic

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About Hong Kong Ballet

An eclectic mix of talent, a balance of classical and contemporary works, and a uniquerepertoire 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 Madeleine Onne, is committed to providing captivating experiencesthat 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]