The Hong Kong Ballet
The Hong Kong Ballet is one of the premier classical ballet companies in Asia and continues to develop into a world-class institution with an identity that reflects the vitality of Hong Kong. Celebrating our 30th anniversary in 2009, the Company has evolved into a vibrant performing arts organization with a cohesive core of dancers and an expanding repertoire that reflects the highlights of celebrated choreographers as well as the work of nascent artists from Hong Kong and China.
Our artistic team and 43 dancers originate from nine countries - with a strong contingent of Chinese artists - and perform a repertoire that combines 19th and 20th century classical masterpieces, challenging contemporary works and special commissions. During the 2008-09 season, the Company’s 37 performances of seven productions and educational and community outreach programmes reached an audience of 70,000.
Continuing to build its international profile, The Hong Kong Ballet conducted two critically acclaimed tours in China during 2008-09. Since 1997, The Hong Kong Ballet has concluded 19 tours to 10 different countries in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company was invited to participate in the 2008 Shanghai International Arts Festival with Giselle as well as to debut at the Opera House of Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts with Swan Lake in January 2009. joining The Hong Kong Ballet in May 2008, Guest Principal Dancer Tan Yuan Yuan toured with the Company for both of these invitations. Ms. Tan is a Principal Dancer of the San Francisco Ballet and will be splitting her time between the two cities.
Our repertoire reflects both the heritage and origin of ballet in Europe as well as contemporary influences from around the world. The Company performs full length ballet favourites, such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Giselle, as well as the finest classical works of the 20th century, such as George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Theme and Variations and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow and Coppelia. Steptext, the work of modern ballet master William Forsythe was added to our repertoire this year, while our special commissions supported local choreographers Yuri Ng and Eve Chan.
Educational and community outreach programmes form another key initiative of The Hong Kong Ballet. The talks and lectures, demonstrations, master classes and backstage tours, serve to increase awareness and deepen appreciation of ballet for the public, in particular for young people and students.
In recognition of the Company’s efforts, we were the recipient of two Hong Kong Dance Awards in 2009: Tricolor, a collection of masterworks from 20th century ballet, and the original production Evolution of Ballet, which was credited for its informative and dynamic presentation of the art-form’s history.