Outrageous. Iconic. A Masterpiece Reimagined.
2018/19 Season Finale
HK Ballet x HK Phil: The Rite of Spring
Two Artistic Powerhouses Take On Three Seminal 21stCentury Works
[Hong Kong – 24 April 2019] As the curtain falls on its inspiring 2018/19 Season, Hong Kong Ballet, in a long anticipated collaboration with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, proudly presents HK Ballet x HK Phil: The Rite of Spring, a celebration of innovation and revolution that showcases three ballet works by some of the most sought-after choreographers in the world.
This electrifying mixed bill programme features a world premiere of Company choreographers Yuh Egami and Hu Song Wei Ricky’s powerfully reimagined version of The Rite of Spring with Stravinsky’s groundbreaking, riot-inducing score; the Hong Kong premiere of Wayne McGregor's Olivier Award-winning signature masterwork Chroma, which uses the drama and emotionality of the human body while expertly balancing the tension between chaos and order; and the Asian premiere of Justin Peck’s joyful Year of the Rabbit, set to an orchestral adaptation of indie music sensation Sufjan Stevens’s Chinese astrology-inspired electronic score.
Artistic Director Septime Webre notes, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with HK Phil to present this project. With premieres by two of the ballet world’s most audacious dance-makers, Wayne McGregor and Justin Peck, Hong Kong Ballet thrusts itself squarely in the middle of the international ballet dialogue. And The Rite of Spring astonishes as much today as it did when it first premiered in Paris in 1913. Ricky Hu and Yuh Egami’s new staging makes a bold statement about humankind’s relationship with and responsibility to the world around us. It is as explosive and powerful as the Stravinsky score itself.”
HK Ballet x HK Phil: The Rite of Spring will run from 31 May to 2 June 2019 at the Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets are priced at $680, $480, $320 and $180, with VIP tickets at $1,000, and are available at URBTIX now.
Chroma
Wayne McGregor's award-winning signature masterpiece Chroma is set to original music by Joby Talbot and energetic rhythms by American rock band The White Stripes. With sets by minimalist architect John Pawson, this performance thrillingly redefines contemporary ballet using the drama and emotions of the human body while expertly balancing the tension between chaos and order.
Choreography: Wayne McGregor
Music: Joby Talbot & Jack White
Set Design: John Pawson
Costume Design: Moritz Junge
Lighting Design: Lucy Carter
Stager: Antoine Vereecken
Costumes and scenery courtesy of The Australian Ballet
Photo: Pal Hansen
Wayne McGregor
Multi award-winning British choreographer and director Wayne McGregor CBE is Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor, founded in 1993. He is also Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, London. He is regularly commissioned by and has works in the repertories of the world's major ballet companies, and choreographs for theatre, TV and film, including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Accolades include four Critics’ Circle Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Golden Mask Awards and a Prix Benois de la Danse.
Year of the Rabbit
Justin Peck is one of the ballet world’s most talked-about choreographic stars. His Year of the Rabbit, nominated for the 2013 Prix Benois de la Danse, is a joyful, kaleidoscopic work set to an orchestral adaptation of indie music sensation Sufjan Stevens’s Chinese astrology-inspired electronic score.
Choreography and Costume Design: Justin Peck
Music: Sufjan Stevens (Arranged by Michael Atkinson)
Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker
Répétiteurs: Michael Breeden & Zoe Zien
Justin Peck
Justin Peckis a Soloist and the Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet (NYCB), the second person holding this title in NYCB’s history.
Peck has created over 30 ballets, which have been performed by NYCB, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and more. He also choreographed for Francis Lawrence’s film Red Sparrow and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story. His choreography has won many recognitions, including a nomination of the Prix Benois de la Danse for Year of the Rabbit, a Bessie Award for Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes as well as a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award for his choreography in 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel.
The Rite of Spring
Inspired by the energy residing in Stravinsky’s seminal music, Yuh Egami and Hu Song Wei Ricky have reimagined a powerful new version of The Rite of Spring. Through a dynamic creative process, they have imbued extreme human emotions into the score while questioning human existence, modern society and our relationship with nature. Come witness the birth of a truly remarkable piece!
Choreography: Yuh Egami & Hu Song Wei Ricky
Music: Igor Stravinsky (Orchestral Reduction by Jonathan McPhee)
Set Design: Leocampo Yuen
Lighting Design: Mak Kwok Fai
Yuh Egami
A graduate of The Royal Ballet School in London, Japanese dancer-choreographer Yuh Egami joined Hong Kong Ballet in 2002, becoming the Company's Repetiteur in 2014 and Assistant Ballet Master in 2018. He has been commissioned to create and restage works for Architanz in Japan, E-side Dance Company, Le Studio Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet, among others.
Hu Song Wei Ricky
With training from Shanghai Dance School, LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts in Singapore and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Jiangxi-born dancer-choreographer Hu Song Wei Ricky joined Hong Kong Ballet in 2008. He has been invited to choreograph for Hong Kong Arts Festival, Shanghai International Arts Festival, China Dance for 12 Days, National University of Singapore Arts Festival, Hong Kong Ballet and more. He received the Award for Young Artist in Dance at the 2012 Hong Kong Arts Development Awards.
Yuh Egami and Hu Song Wei Ricky co-choreographed The Frog Prince - A Ballet Chinois (2013) with Yuri Ng, and created Horn (2014), Carmen (2017) and the 2016 Hong Kong Dance Award-winning Bolero (2015).
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) is recognised as Asia’s foremost classical orchestra, attracting more than 200,000 music lovers every year by presenting more than 150 concerts.
Maestro Jaap van Zweden, one of today’s most sought-after conductors, has been the orchestra’s Music Director since the 2012/13 concert season, and now he is also the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. Maestro van Zweden led the HK Phil successfully completed an epic four-year journey through Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” in 2018. The concert performances and live Naxos recordings have been enthusiastically received by audiences and praised by critics at home and abroad.
Yu Long is the Principal Guest Conductor.
Tim Murray
British conductor Tim Murray is Associate Music Director at Cape Town Opera. He collaborated with choreographer Wayne McGregor on The Royal Ballet’s Obsidian Tear, The Royal Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet’s Tetractys - The Art of Fugue and Sadler’s Wells’ Undance. Other dance projects include New National Theatre Tokyo’s The Soldier’s Tale and John Neumeier’s Le Sacre du Printemps.
International appearances include Hong Kong Arts Festival, Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, New National Theatre Tokyo, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Copenhagen Royal Ballet. Teatro Real Madrid, Liceu Barcelona, Théâtre du Châtelet Paris, Oper Köln, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Barbican London, and BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.
Performance Details
31.5.2017 – 2.6.2019
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 2 hours including 2 intermissions
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
$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.
HKB Up-Close
Ballet 360o
21.5.2019 Tue 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Free admission
Conducted in English
Suitable for ages 6 and above
Limited capacity, advance registration required
Registration Details: hkballet.com/ballet360
Pre-Performance Talks
31.5.2019 Fri 7:00pm – 7:20pm [Conducted in Cantonese]
1.6.2019 Sat 2:00pm – 2:20pm [Conducted in English]
Level 2 Foyer, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Lasts approximately 20 minutes
Free admission with a HK Ballet X HK Phil: The Rite of Spring ticket
Dance Unites
Justin Peck Repertory Workshop
11.5.2019 Sat 3:15pm-4:45pm
Instructor: Michael Breeden and Zoe Azien, Repetiteur of Year of the Rabbit
Wayne McGregor Repertory Workshop
18.5.2019 Sat 3:15pm-4:45pm
Instructor: Antoine Vereecken, Repetiteur of Chroma
Studio 6, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Fee: $150 each
Conducted in English
Suitable for ages 12 and above with 5+ years of ballet experience
Limited capacity, advance registration required
Application details to be announced at hkballet.com/BITC
| Co-producer | Champagne Partner |
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DOWNLOAD PRESS PHOTOS
[Click on the photo to download full image]
Photo 1: HK Ballet x HK Phil: The Rite of Spring Promotional Image | Dancers (from left): Lai Nok Sze Vanessa, Forrest Rain Oliveros | Creative: Design Army | Photographer: Dean Alexander
Photo 2: HK Ballet x HK Phil: The Rite of Spring Promotional Image | Dancers (from left): Forrest Rain Oliveros, Lai Nok Sze Vanessa | Creative: Design Army | Photographer: Dean Alexander
Photo 3: Wayne McGregor’s Chroma | The Royal Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Richard Davies
Photo 4: Wayne McGregor’s Chroma | The Royal Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Richard Davies
Photo 5: Wayne McGregor’s Chroma | The Royal Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Richard Davies
Photo 6: Wayne McGregor’s Chroma | The Royal Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Richard Davies
Photo 7: Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit | Dancers: Valeriia Chaykina, Yumi Kanazawa, Lucia Connolly | Photographer: Cheryl Mann | Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet
Photo 8: Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit | Dancers: Amanda Assucena, Alberto Velazquez | Photographer: Cheryl Mann | Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet
Photo 9: Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit | The Joffrey Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Cheryl Mann | Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet
Photo 10: Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit | Dancer: Nicole Ciapponi and The Joffrey Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Cheryl Mann | Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet
Photo 11: Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit | Dancer: Rory Hohenstein and The Joffrey Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Cheryl Mann | Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet
Photo 12: Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit | The Joffrey Ballet Dancers | Photographer: Cheryl Mann | Courtesy of The Joffrey Ballet
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]
Eunice Ho
Assistant Marketing Manager
T: (852) 2105 9757
M: (852) 9189 2235
[email protected]
