[Hong Kong - 23 February 2009] The Hong Kong Ballet will present the ultimate classical ballet, Swan Lake, in March at Sha Tin Town Hall. The Company's performances of this timeless four-act classic at Beijing's National Centre for Performing Arts in January garnered critical acclaim. Professor Ou Jian-ping, a renowned dance critic in Beijing, commented: "The Company's overall solidity of performance and overwhelming success made it a thrilling prelude to the dazzling line-up of dance performances this year, whether from home or abroad."
Premiered in St. Petersburg more than a century ago, Swan Lake has cast a magic spell over dancers and balletomanes. The dramatic story line, the sumptuous sets and costumes by Peter Farmer, music by Tchaikovsky, beautiful dance patterns created by the original choreographers Petipa and Ivanov, with additional touches by ex-Artistic Director John Meehan, and two of the Ballet's young talents Carlo Pacis and Selina Chau, help to create a great theatrical experience for the audience.
Principal Dancer Jin Yao will dance the lead role as the Odile/Odette. Dance Europe's editor Emma Manning wrote in January 2009: "Jin Yao is blessed with an expressive face, an easy technique and an innate sense of dance - a total joy to watch." A Gold Medalist of the prestigious Varna International Ballet Competition, Jin Yao was a principal dancer and top-grade national dancer in China before she joined The Hong Kong Ballet in 2004. Together with another award-winning danseur Huang Zhen as her Prince, Jin Yao performed the lead in Swan Lake in Beijing's National Center for Performing Arts in January 2009.
A free-admission fringe event, The Secret behind the Enduring Romantic Classic: Insights into Swan Lake with dance preview, will be held on 3 March (Tuesday). Graeme Collins, Head of Ballet of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, will unfold the secrets behind this world's favorite ballet, supplemented with videos and interviews with dancers. Audience will also have an exclusive opportunity to see a dance preview by the Company. A pre-performance talk in Cantonese (free admission with ticket) will also be held on 28 March (Saturday) before the matinee show.
Odette, the beautiful Swan Queen, can only take on human form at night; true love is the only way for her to break the curse. The handsome young Prince is enchanted by her purity and they fall in love. Entranced by the evil Von Rothbart, the Prince unknowingly vows to marry Odile (Black Swan) instead at the Ball. Broken-hearted, the real Odette reunites with the Prince by the lake in one last dance...
Swan Lake will be performed at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall from 26 to 29 March 2009 (26-28.3 / 8pm; 28-29.3 / 3pm). Prices range from HK$120 to HK$500 (VIP ticket). Tickets are now available at all Urbtix outlets (Tel. 2734 900 / www.urbtix.hk). For registration and enquiries about the fringe activities, call 2105 9724 or email marketing@hkballet.com. Full details can be found on www.hkballet.com.
Programme details
Swan Lake
A Full-length Ballet in 4 Acts
26-28.3.2009 (8:00pm)
28-29.3.2009 (3:00pm)
$500 (VIP tickets), $300, $240, $180, $120
Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
Performance duration: about 2 hours 35 minutes
Tickets available at all URBTIX outlets NOW
Reservation: 2734 9009
Credit card booking: 2111 5999
Internet booking: www.urbtix.hk
Enquiries: 2105 9724 / marketing@hkballet.com
For ages 6 or above
Remarks: Stalls Row A and B will have an imperfect view of the stage
Programme Plus
The Secret behind the Enduring Romantic Classic: Insights into Swan Lake with dance preview
3.3.2009 (Tuesday) - 7:30pm - 8:45pm
Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Guest Host: Graeme Collins, Head of Ballet, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
* The programme will be conducted in English
* Free admission
Pre-performance Talk
28.3.2009 (Saturday) - 2:20pm - 2:40pm
Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
* The programme will be conducted in Cantonese
* Admitted with Swan Lake tickets of the Saturday matinée
For registration and enquiries: (852) 2105 9724 / marketing@hkballet.com
Places are limited, register now!
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 programmes, 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 Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.
Our repertoire reflects both the heritage and origin of ballet in Europe as well as contemporary influences, particularly those in 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
Click to enlarge
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| Swan Lake Dancers: Jin Yao, Huang Zhen Photo: Sheng Jia Peng |
Swan Lake Dancers: Jin Yao, Huang Zhen Photo: Sheng Jia Peng |
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| Swan Lake The Hong Kong Ballet Dancers Photo: Jimmy Chan |
Swan Lake Dancers: Jin Yao, Huang Zhen Photo: Jimmy Chan |
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| Swan Lake Dancers: Li Ming, Kim Ji-eun, Kim Ji-sun, Camilla Vergotis Photo: Sheng Jia Peng |
Swan Lake Dancer (front): Jin Yao Photo: Sheng Jia Peng |
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| Swan Lake Dancers: Jin Yao, William Lin Photo: Sheng Jia Peng |
Swan Lake Dancers: Jin Yao, Huang Zhen Photo: Sheng Jia Peng |
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| Swan Lake Dancers: Chantel Elizabeth Roulston, Izak David Claase Photo: Sheng Jia Peng |