Programmes
Dan·Sheng by Jun Chen#
Jun Chen, Principal Dancer of Hong Kong Dance Company, creates a new piece about an artist in today’s modern world navigating traditional culture, inheriting traditions and becoming enlightened as a result. In this work, the dancers perform, at different times, hua-dan and wu-sheng (young female role and male martial arts role in Chinese opera), both of whom are engaged in a reiterative process of self-exploration and self-generation with exchanges of emotions and dialogue amongst themselves and their roles.
Graduating with distinction from the affiliated middle school of Beijing Dance Academy, Jun Chen is a Principal Dancer of Hong Kong Dance Company and a member of Chinese Dancers Association. He has won numerous awards, including Hong Kong Dance Award 2006 and "Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer" at Hong Kong Dance Awards 2012. In 2006, Chen created two works with Xing Liang — I, Think and Walk Alone—which were selected among the “Ten Best” in the Youth Modern Dance division at the 3rd Seoul International Dance Competition. In 2005, he choreographed Liang Ye Chuang Qing, which won Best Choreography Award at the Bauhinia Cup Hong Kong Dance Championship. In 2014, his work Solitude-Dream received the silver prize at the 8th Shenzhen Creative Dance Competition.
Night Thoughts by Chao-ya He# & Jia-bo Li
Thoughts grow in the dark of night amidst countless stars and the moon high above. Stretched fingers slowly turn into figures dancing with each other, and shadows join in. Thoughts emerge through the imagination, and the dancing figures embody an intense mood in the moonlight…
Principal Dancer Jia-bo Li joins hands with Chao-ya He from Hong Kong Dance to reveal thoughts, pain, bitterness and memories that ambush during the long night.
A graduate of the Chinese Dance Department of the Guangdong Dance School in 2003, Chao-ya He joined Hong Kong Dance Company in 2007 after further study with a full scholarship at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has won numerous awards including the Golden Award for Group Dance in the Minority Groups Dance Gala, Golden Award at the Guangdong Song of Youth Dance Competition and the Golden Award for International Standard Dance at the Guangzhou Architectural Cup Competition. His recent performances include a pas de deux in Dance Roots, Father in Joseph Koo’s Classic Melodies, lead dancer in Two Swallows – Ode to Wu Guanzhong, Couple in Pop Classics: Joseph Koo’s Dance Melodies 2013, Zhou in Plateau Bluebells and Elder Son in Red Poppies (2014).
Born in Shanghai, China, Jia-bo Li trained at Shanghai Far East Ballet School and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2005, was named Soloist in 2012 and became Principal Dancer in 2014.
With Hong Kong Ballet, Li has danced principal or featured roles including Prince Désiré and Blue Bird in Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty, Basilio in Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, Prince in both Jefferies’ and Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Geppetto in Isberg’s Pinocchio, Prince in Allan’s Cinderella, Romeo in van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Camille in Hynd’s The Merry Widow, Pao Yu in Xin-peng Wang’s The Dream of the Red Chamber and Prince Calaf in Weir’s Turandot. He has presented choreographic works at Hong Kong Ballet’s Choreographers’ Showcase, including Keep Watch (2015), Going Home (2014), Unable to Rewind (2012) and Ambush (2008). He also choreographed Something We Always Carry (2013).
Re... by Ka-chun Hui
The living room symbolizes a calm and peaceful place that also serves as a space for change and uncertainties. People get various inspirations through repeating, rebuilding, redeveloping, re-… movements due to different physical attributes, meanings or intentions. With the dancers’ movements, emotions and dialogue, Hui’s new creation explores the dynamic themes of 'home' and 'process'.
Born in Hong Kong, Ka-chun Hui graduated with first-class honours from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, concentration in Ballet. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as an apprentice in 2014 before becoming a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2015. With Hong Kong Ballet, Hui has danced in Conus’ Swan Lake Act III, Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty, Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Isberg’s Pinocchio, Weir’s Turandot, Duato’s Castrati, Pastor’s In Light and Shadow and Fei Bo’s Shenren Chang. Hui premièred his choreographic work, Panta Rhei, at Hong Kong Ballet’s Choreographers’ Showcase in 2015.
Shogun by Ryo Kato
Based on a true story from 16th century Japan, Kato’s new piece depicts the endless battles in which samurai participated to secure a shogun title in the shogunate.
Born in Saitama, Japan, Ryo Kato trained at the National Conservatory of Dance School in Portugal and was a Soloist of State Ballet of Georgia in 2012. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2015 and was named Soloist in 2016. With Hong Kong Ballet, Kato has danced featured and main roles including Prince in Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Blue Bird in Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty and Paris in van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet. He has also danced in Balanchine’s Serenade and Fei Bo’s Shenren Chang. Kato was a finalist at Prix de Lausanne, Switzerland in 2012. He won a gold medal at Tanzolymp Berlin in 2011 and first prize at both the NBA Ballet Competition and Tokyo All Ballet Competition in 2010.
by Chun-long Leung
Multiple personalities in an individual are like having several souls co-existing together in one body. Different personalities control the body and its behavior in turns. Depending on the environment, event or person with whom one is interacting, various identities become evident in the emotions and reactions related to the situation. Leung’s new piece attempts to interpret this complex condition through dance.
Born in Hong Kong, Chun-long Leung graduated from Beijing Dance Academy in 2009 and from 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. With Hong Kong Ballet, Leung has danced main or featured roles including Pinocchio in Isberg’s Pinocchio, Fritz and Rat King in Kohler’s The Nutcracker and Jewels in Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty. He has also performed in Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, Weir’s Turandot, Balanchine’s Serenade, Duato’s Castrati, Edwaard Liang’s Sacred Thread and Fei Bo’s Shenren Chang. Leung received an Outstanding Performance Award at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2003.
Dance Internship I by Justyne Li
An electric current is injected into the dancer’s nerves, initiating a new and unfamiliar perspective on harmony, logic, patterns, rhythm, time and space. After this unusual catalyst, the day-to-day routine soon confuses the dancer. Worse, the dancer now has to face inner demons, who eagerly wait for a chance to integrate within the dancer. Ex-Hong Kong Ballet dancer Justyne Li returns with a dramatic new work about a dancer’s path.
A graduate of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts’ School of Dance, Justyne Li is an independent dancer and choreographer. She previously danced with Hong Kong Ballet and Tanz Graz (Austria) and was a soloist with Ballett Bremerhaven (Germany) before establishing Neo Dance HK with Wong Tan Ki in 2010. Her choreographic work Division received first prize at the 7th Jerusalem International Choreography Competition, and other accolades include numerous Hong Kong Dance Awards, like Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer for Galatea X and Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance for Galatea & Pygmalion.
Follow Your Heart by Lin Li
Everything arises from his needs, his desires and his thoughts. Follow your heart, ignore mundane viewpoints and realize your true self. Li’s new work illustrates a story from a male perspective.
Born in Zhejiang, China, Lin Li 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. With Hong Kong Ballet, Li has danced featured and main roles including Prince in Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Von Rothbart in Meehan’s Swan Lake, Prince Calaf and Timur in Weir’s Turandot, Geppetto and Fox in Isberg’s Pinocchio, Jewels in Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty, Tybalt in van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Peasant Pas de Deux in Meehan and Mei-fang Lin’s Giselle, Espada in Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, Camille in Hynd’s The Merry Widow, Lead Jester in Allan’s Cinderella, The Man In Black in Yuri Ng’s Firecracker. He won second prize at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2009 and premièred his work, Break Away, at Hong Kong Ballet’s Choreographers’ Showcase in 2014.
Passion Flower by Jonathan Spigner
Spigner’s new work illustrates the importance of living in the moment without fear in order to experience care and love. Helping each other to find one another, which actually helps oneself at the same time.
Born in South Carolina, USA, Jonathan Spigner trained at the South Carolina Governor’s School of Arts and Humanities and at Académie Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2010 and was named Coryphée in 2014. With Hong Kong Ballet, Spigner has danced featured roles including Fritz and Spanish Doll in Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Puss in Boots in Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty, Gamache in Anaiashvili’s Don Quixote, Executed Prince in Weir’s Turandot and Young Uncle Tak in Yuri Ng’s Firecracker. Spigner has premièred choreographic works at Hong Kong Ballet's Choreographers’ Showcase, including Days Gone By (2015), Wepart (2014), Overview Effect (2012) and (The Wonderful Known Tick) (2011). He also choreographed SoLo (2013). Spigner received awards from Youth America Grand Prix regional competitions in 2004, 2008 and 2009.
# With the kind permission of Hong Kong Dance Company
