【Hong Kong - 23 January 2009】Beginning in February, two weeks before All Bach opens, a series of fringe activities have been arranged for public to find out more about each masterpiece and to meet the artists face-to-face.
A masterclass entitled The Choreographic Process of Forsythe will be held on 1 February (Sunday), 10am, in studio GR2 of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. Instructor Agnes Noltenius, who has come to rehearse Steptext with the Company and one of Forsythe's former star ballerinas, will share the secrets of William Forsythe's choreography with Hong Kong in this 2-hour workshop. Designed for professionals and advanced students, the masterclass is already full and has attracted top dancers from the city's other two professional dance companies, CCDC and Hong Kong Dance Company, as well as HKB's own.
As for the general public, they are welcome to join a Dialogue with the Masters: An evening on All Bach with dance preview on 3 February (Tuesday) at the Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 7:30pm. They will meet the acclaimed choreographer Wang Xin Peng, and the two rehearsal directors of William Forsythe - Agnes Noltenius and Thierry Guiderdoni. Hosted by SCMP's dance critic, Natasha Rogai, the artists will share how Bach has been an inspiration for different ballet masters. Dance previews of four contemporary ballets will be performed by the Company's dancers will definitely whet the appetite. Admission is free, but registration is required. Either call 2105 9724 or email marketing@hkballet.com to reserve a seat.
Come to the pre-performance talk on 13 February at 7.25pm on the opening night. Again, admission is free with tickets to the evening's show. For details, please visit www.hkballet.com.
All Bach is the first of our 30th anniversary productions in Hong Kong and part of the 37th Hong Kong Arts Festival. This exciting programme of Bach-inspired contemporary ballets will run from 13 to 15 February at the Lyric Theatre of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
About The Hong Kong Ballet
The Hong Kong Ballet is one of the leading classical ballet companies in Asia and is becoming internationally recognized as a world-class institution with an identity that fully reflects the unique vitality of Hong Kong. Celebrating our 30th anniversary in 2009, the Company has evolved into a vibrant performing arts organization with accomplished dancers, a strong repertoire, sparkling productions and an original identity. Our 43 dancers originate from nine countries - with a strong core of Chinese artists - and perform a repertoire that combines 19th and 20th century classical masterpieces, acclaimed contemporary works and new ballets commissioned by The Hong Kong Ballet. During the 2007/08 Season, the Company produced seven programs, in 42 performances and entertained an audience of 47,000.
Since 1997, The Hong Kong Ballet has raised its international profile and has concluded 18 tours to 10 different countries in North America, Europe and Asia. In the 2008/09 season, the Company conducted two successful tours in China that received strong critical acclaim, including an appearance in the 2008 Shanghai International Arts Festival and a debut at the Opera House of the National Theatre of China in Beijing.
Our repertoire reflects both the heritage and origin of ballet in Europe as well as contemporary influences, particularly those China. The Company performs the great full length ballets, such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Giselle, and the finest classical works of the 20th Century, including 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 Coppélia. We also perform acclaimed contemporary ballets, such as William Forsythe's Steptext, Stephen Mill's Hush and Stanton Welch's Clear. Our commissioned works include David Allan's Cinderella, Wayne Eagling's The Last Emperor, Yuri Ng's yeah yeah XI MEN QING, Natalie Weir's Turandot, Carlo Pacis' Beatles on a String, Eve Chan's Night Light and Stephen Baynes' The Way Alone.
Another integral part of The Hong Kong Ballet's activities are our educational and community outreach programmes. The Creative Ballet Animateur Scheme, Youth Intensive Programme, Sunday Ballet Workshops and Pre-performance Workshops, as well as lecture-demonstrations, pre-performance talks, master classes and backstage tours, serve to increase awareness and deepen appreciation of ballet among the youth. By bringing the art of ballet to the wider community of Hong Kong, we reached 33,000 people during the 2007/08 Season.
Press Contacts:
| Heidi Chik PR and Marketing Manager Hong Kong Ballet Tel. 2105 9742 heidi_chik@hkballet.com |
Irene So Assistant Marketing Manager Hong Kong Ballet Tel: 2105 9723 irene_so@hkballet.com |
| Chloe Kwung Marketing Officer Hong Kong Ballet Tel: 2105 9757 chloe_kwung@hkballet.com |
Photos
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| William Forsythe's rehearsal director, Agnes Noltenius | Choreographer of Mein Bach, Wang Xin Peng in rehearsal |
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| Natasha Rogai (Dance Critic of the South China Morning Post) |