The Nutcracker Christmas Benefit 2019
Another Successful Festive Fundraiser for
Hong Kong Ballet
[Hong Kong—1 December 2019] On Sunday 1 December 2019, The Nutcracker Christmas Benefit 2019 hosted over 360 guests at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. A beloved annual tradition and holiday fundraiser organised by The Hong Kong Ballet Guild, the Benefit was a joyous occasion for families to enjoy exceptional entertainment, a festive meal and lively Christmas-themed activities for all ages. The afternoon’s highlight featured an enchanting children’s Nutcracker ballet performance with young dancers aged 2-12.
Among the esteemed guests were the The Nutcracker Christmas Benefit 2019 Co-Chairs: Mrs Colleen Yu Fung, Mrs Connie Wei Yang and Mrs Liana Yung Yeung; Mrs Mira Yeh, Hong Kong Ballet’s Board of Governors Chairman; Hong Kong Ballet’s Board of Governors members: Mrs Janice Chan-Choy, Ms Linda Fung, Mrs Anne Wang Liu and Mrs Deirdre Fu Tcheng. Other guests included Mrs Cissy Pao-Watari BBS, Mrs Emily Lam Ho, Mr Kent Ho, Ms Maya Lin, Ms Wendy Law, Mr Will Lam, Mrs Sandee Sun, Mr Ryan Sun, Mrs Leanne Chu, Mrs Robyn Lamsam Convery, Mrs Alicia Tan Ku, Mrs Natalie Chiu and many more.
As Hong Kong Ballet greatly values its dedicated, hard-working dancers, part of the Benefit proceeds will directly go to the Company’s Dancers’ Sponsorship Fund, which provides the dancers with regular physiotherapy sessions, new pointe shoes and artistic exchanges both locally and abroad to further their education, experience and training.
Benefit Co-Chair Mrs Liana Yung Yeung gratefully acknowledged the Benefit’s generous sponsors, “We are very thankful to our dedicated Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors, to our Hotel Partner Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, to our Media Partner Hong Kong Tatler and to Prestique Limited for our Event PR. Without your support and commitment to the Company, this inspiring family holiday event would not be possible.”
The popular children’s performance featured 49 of the Benefit committee members’ children in specially designed costumes modeled after the original The Nutcracker versions. Co-Chair Mrs Connie Wei Yang warmly congratulated the creative team, “A very special thank you to Deirdre Fu Tcheng, one of our outstanding Board of Governors members, a founding member of The Hong Kong Ballet Guild, and the innovative Creative Director of today’s charming production; and to Linda Fung, our Board of Governors member and one of the amazing Choreographers who worked closely with the children to rehearse and polish the memorable performance.”
Co-Chair Mrs Colleen Yu Fung added, “Through your generous support and donations, you make it possible for Hong Kong Ballet to promote the exhilarating art form of ballet to those who may otherwise never get an opportunity to experience it. We also must give a big thanks to our incredible Organising Committee for their hours of hard work into making this an afternoon we’ll remember for a long time.”
The Benefit featured three engaging fundraising activities: a live auction, a silent auction and the “Make a Pledge” campaign. “Make a Pledge” successfully raised valuable funds for the Company’s Accessibility Fund and Student Tickets Fund, which bring live ballet experiences to the hearing impaired and subsidise half-priced tickets for local students, respectively.
Throughout the afternoon, guests were treated to a delicious festive brunch, a lucky draw, arts and crafts workshops, and an interactive photo booth. They were also engaged in different fundraising activities, and enjoyed a meaningful and lovely afternoon.
The Nutcracker Christmas Benefit 2019
Co-Chairs:
Mrs Colleen Yu Fung, Mrs Connie Wei Yang and Mrs Liana Yung Yeung
Organising Committee:
Mrs Jee Eun Chao, Ms Vada C. Chung, Mrs Michelle Miller Erb, Mrs Lillian Lee Fong, Mrs Catherine Freeman, Mrs Emily Lam Ho, Mrs Alina Huo Knothe, Ms Elaine C Kwok, Mrs Joan Kwok, Professor Ava Kwong, Mrs Alison Chan Lam, Ms May Lau, Ms Wendy Law, Mrs Bonnie Li, Ms Jolene Lin, Ms Maya Lin, Mrs Anne Wang Liu, Ms Esther Ma, Ms Michelle Leung Sulger, Mrs Deirdre Fu Tcheng, Mrs Emelda Wong Trainor, Mrs Ayase Watari, Mrs Alice Tong Wong, Ms Vicky Xu, Ms Peggy Pei Chee Yeoh, Ms LeighAnne Zhu
Gold Sponsors
Perrier-Jouët Champagne
Roger Lee Production Ltd.
Suavislash Couture
Silver Sponsors
CURAPROX
Megan’s Kitchen
Bronze Sponsors
Cabot Properties
Kids’ Gallery
Les Néréides
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
Spring Learning
Benefit Partners
ActiveKids Limited
AMMO
Aux Quatre Vents Inc. (A.Q.V.I.)
Baker & Bloom Education Center
Barre 2 Barre
Bo Innovation
Ms Elaine C Kwok and Mr Adrian Cheong
Classified Group
The Common Room
Farrington Interiors Limited
H-KORE
HK Headshots
Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel
Lai Sun Dining Limited
Ms Millie Lau
Maggie & Rose Hong Kong
One-Eight-One Hotel & Serviced Residences
Penhaligon’s
Physique Evolution
Rosa & Daniel Photography
Salvatore Ferragamo
Smarticle English
Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited
Tata Harper Skincare
The Tea Room
The Westin Xian
Whiskers N Paws
Special Thanks
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong (Hotel Partner)
Hong Kong Tatler (English Media Partner)
Ms Elaine C Kwok (Auctioneer)
Ms Esther Ma (MC)
Prestique Limited (Event PR)
Download High Resolution Images
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Photo 1: The Nutcracker Christmas Benefit 2019 Organising Committee (Back row, from left): Ms Vada C. Chung, Ms May Lau, Mrs Alice Tong Wong, Ms Peggy Pei Chee Yeoh, Mrs Bonnie Li, Ms Elaine C Kwok, Mrs Liana Yung Yeung (Member of Board of Governors of Hong Kong Ballet and Co-Chair of Benefit Committee), Mrs Connie Wei Yang (Co-Chair of Benefit Committee), Mrs Mira Yeh (Chairman of Board of Governors of Hong Kong Ballet), Mrs Colleen Yu Fung (Co-Chair of Benefit Committee), Mrs Anne Wang Liu (Member of Board of Governors of Hong Kong Ballet and Co-Chairs of The Hong Kong Ballet Guild), Mrs Emily Lam Ho, Ms LeighAnne Zhu, Mrs Alison Chan Lam, Mrs Joan Kwok, Ms Vicky Xu, Ms Maya Lin, Ms Michelle Leung Sulger, Professor Ava Kwong, Mrs Emelda Wong Trainor;(Front row, from left) Mrs Alina Huo Knothe, Ms Esther Ma, Mrs Deirdre Fu Tcheng (Member of Board of Governors of Hong Kong Ballet), Ms Wendy Law, Mrs Lillian Lee Fong, Mrs Jee Eun Chao, Ms Jolene Lin, Mrs Michelle Miller Erb, Mrs Catherine Freeman, Mrs Ayase Watari
Photo 2: Co-Chairs of The Nutcracker Christmas Benefit 2019 (from left): Mrs Liana Yung Yeung, Mrs Colleen Yu Fung, Mrs Connie Wei Yang
Photo 3 (from left): Mrs Anne Wang Liu, Mrs Liana Yung Yeung, Mrs Colleen Yu Fung, Mrs Connie Wei Yang
Photo 4 (from left): Mrs Liana Yung Yeung; Mrs Anne Wang Liu; Mr Paul Tam, Executive Director of Hong Kong Ballet; Mrs Connie Wei Yang; Mrs Colleen Yu Fung
Photo 5 (from left): Mr Paul Tam; Mrs Mira Yeh, Chairman of Board of Governors of Hong Kong Ballet; Mr Septime Webre, Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 6: Mrs Janice Chan-Choy, Member of Board of Governors of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 7: Dancers (from left) : Chen Zhiyao, Li Lin
Photo 8: Dancers (from left) : Forrest Rain Oliveros, Ethan Chudnow, Henry Seldon, Chen Zhiyao, Li Lin, Lin Chang-yuan Kyle, Yuh Egami
About The Hong Kong Ballet Guild
The Hong Kong Ballet Guild was established in April 2008 by a group of Hong Kong’s most avid ballet enthusiasts. The objectives of the Guild are to promote Hong Kong Ballet, raise its public profile and preserve its heritage. By increasing awareness of and support for ballet among diverse sectors of society through extensive community engagement programmes, the Guild hopes to achieve its dual objects of developing a wider audience for Hong Kong Ballet, and fostering a society that appreciates this art form, thus enabling Hong Kong to flourish as a global cultural hub.
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.
For further information, please contact:
Prestique Limited
Ali Hui
T: (852) 2541 9393
M: (852) 6430 0215
[email protected]
Hong Kong Ballet
Nick Chan
T: (852) 2105 9716
M: (852) 9728 1777
[email protected]
Hong Kong Ballet
Eunice Ho
T: (852) 2105 9757
M: (852) 9189 2235
[email protected]
