Hong Kong Ballet to perform at 10th China Shanghai International Arts Festival
The Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) has set off this morning on their China Tour 2008 – which includes Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Ningbo. The Company will be presenting five performances of Giselle and Clear from 25th October to 1st November, premiering with Giselle in the 10th China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF). Giselle will return to Hong Kong to perform at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from 28th to 30th November 2008.
This year will be The Hong Kong Ballet’s sixth visit to perform in the city of Shanghai. The Company has had frequent cultural exchanges with China, having performed at the Beijing Poly Theatre in 2005, the Hong Kong Cultural Week in Shanghai in 2004 and a 24-day China Tour in 2001.
Tan Yuan Yuan will take the lead in the first three performances of Giselle while Faye Leung will star in the other two performances. The Company will also present Clear, a modern ballet choreographed by Stanton Welch in response to the tragedy of 911. Faye Leung will dance the single female lead in this unique piece of modern dance.
Born in Shanghai, Tan Yuan Yuan’s extraordinary talent emerged at the age of 21 when she deservedly became principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet after just two years of joining them. Regular guest principal dancer of The Hong Kong Ballet since May 2008 Tan Yuan Yuan is now one of the leading and most critically acclaimed ballerinas to emerge from China. Faye Leung, another talented ballerina to emerge from Shanghai, has been The Hong Kong Ballet’s Principal Dancer since 2001. Faye has taken the lead in many classical and modern repertoires, such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Jardin aux Lilas and Suite en Blanc. She is known for her dynamic energy and remarkable swiftness.
Giselle is the stunning jewel in the crown of classical ballet. The beautiful choreography adopted for the company’s modern reproduction of this masterpiece derives from the revivals of Marius Petipa. This mystical romantic ballet represents the pinnacle of the Romantic Movement that swept Europe in the early 19th century. The music, libretto, and choreography create a breathtaking air of the triumph of love over death and forgiveness over vengeance. This production of Giselle will be staged by Artistic Director John Meehan and Senior Ballet Mistress Lin Mei-fang, based on the traditional Petipa version.
First staged by The Hong Kong Ballet in 2007 and receiving a rapturous reception, Clear is choreographed by Stanton Welch – one of the most sought-after choreographers of his generation and currently the Artistic Director of Houston Ballet. Costumes designed by the renowned Michael Kors’ are simple and elegant allowing the audience to focus on the emotional spirit of the dance.
The Hong Kong Ballet would like to express their sincere thanks to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the Grand Hyatt Shanghai and the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou, for generously supporting the Giselle China Tour as hotel sponsors.
Programme Details
Date / Time Programme Venue Ticket (RMB)
25-26 Oct 2008
7:15 pm
Giselle
Clear
Shanghai Oriental Art Centre
500/400/300/200/100/
50 (Student ticket)
28-29 Oct 2008
7:30 pm
Giselle
Clear
Hangzhou Grand Theatre
480/280/180/
80 (Student ticket)
1 Nov 2008
7:30 pm
Giselle
Ningbo Grand Theatre
420/360/280/200/120
About The Hong Kong Ballet
The Hong Kong Ballet is recognized as one of the leading ballet companies in Asia, and constitutes the sole professional ballet company in Hong Kong. Led by Artistic Director John Meehan, the Company’s 43 dancers participate in more than 40 performances every year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets to an estimated audience of over 45,000. Since its founding in 1979, the Hong Kong Ballet has emerged as an effective international ambassador for Hong Kong, making more than 17 international tours to 10 countries since 1997. The Company’s repertoire ranges from the great full-length ballets of the 19th century such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Giselle, to some of the best classical works of the 20th century, including Balanchine’s Rubies, Theme and Variations and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Antony Tudor’s Jardin aux Lilas, Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc, Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet and Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow. The repertoire also includes acclaimed contemporary masterpieces such as Stephen Mill’s Hush and Stanton Welch’s Clear. The Company regularly conducts active educational and community outreach programmes to an annual audience of 20,000.
Topics: ballet, choreography, dança, Dance, Danse, Danza, Hong Kong, Tanz
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