Hong Kong Ballet Launches First turn(it)out festival
A two-week glorious explosion of dance at Freespace
[Hong Kong—2 December 2020] Co-presented by Freespace of the West Kowloon Cultural District s part of Hong Kong Ballet in Residence 2021, turn(it)out festival is Hong Kong Ballet (HKB)’s first ever ballet-themed festival that will transform Freespace into an urban dance space beginning 29 January 2021. The goal is to enrich the city’s cultural life by bringing together dancers, musicians and other artists with audiences of all ages and further exploring classical ballet’s role in our modern world in new and unexpected ways.
Among a dizzying array of offerings are three electrifying ticketed programmes: Tour-de-Force Gala, The Vivaldi/Handel Project and Ballet Classics for Children: Cinderella; the premiere of The Orpheus Cabaret, a free ticketed collaboration with The University of Hong Kong, and a wide range of interactive fringe activities with free admission. Whether you are a lifelong balletomane or music fan or just want to chill while enjoying entertaining live performances, turn(it)out festival has something for everyone!
Featuring the powerful artists of HKB, Tour-de-Force Gala will present excerpts from Paquita, Le Corsaire and The Flames of Paris and Flower Festival pas de deux by 19th century Danish master choreographer August Bournonville, whose rarely-seen work is renowned for its exuberance and lightness, and other works from the classical canon. Also featured are Christian Spuck’s side-splitting Le Grand Pas de Deux and engaging contemporary works like Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s astonishing Sombrerisimo, the Hong Kong premiere of award-winning choreographer Nguyen Ngoc Ahn’s Beyond the Line and a world premiere by HKB Artistic Director Septime Webre. This gala-style programme will allow the audience an up-close view of awe-inspiring performances that push the limits of dance in exciting new ways.
In The Vivaldi/Handel Project, iconoclastic dancemakers Hu Song Wei Ricky and Stephen Shropshire will present world premieres of their reimagining of iconic classic scores. HKB’s Choreographer-in-Residence Hu Song Wei Ricky will tackle Antonio Vivaldi’s landmark score, The Four Seasons, in The Lost Season with his unique trademark style, creating an intense, dynamic atmosphere and expressing raw human emotion through exhilarating physicality. The Four Seasons will be performed live by rising star piano virtuoso Rachel Cheung joined by a driving string quintet. Grappling with the role of classical ballet in the modern world, Holland-based American choreographer Stephen Shropshire will begin a three-year artistic residency with Hong Kong Ballet with Handelwerk, an intriguing new work set to sublime keyboard music by celebrated baroque composer George Frideric Handel. The Vivaldi/Handel Project will be rounded out by an award-winning piece by Hong Kong choreographic duo Justyne Li and Wong Tan-ki. Set to Philip Glass' driving score, their riveting Galatea & Pygmalion retells the classic Greek myth of the sculptor Pygmalion and his lifelike statue Galatea, exploring the relationship between a creator and their creation. Although Pygmalion grew old and eventually passed away, the statue Galatea remained forever.
Featuring fresh new choreography and direction by Septime Webre, in partnership with veteran theatre director Ata Wong, and based on an original concept and script by Yuri Ng and Rick Lau, the premiere of Ballet Classics for Children: Cinderella will bewitch audiences of all ages with its triumphant rags-to-riches story, interactive narration and extravagant new costumes by renowned costume designer Yoki Lai. Part of HKB’s best-selling family series, this production will introduce the world of ballet to young audiences in an entertaining way with a one-hour adaptation of the classic fairytale.
Among the exciting activities free to the public is The Orpheus Cabaret, a fresh collaboration among seven choreographers associated with HKB and a team of creative writers from The University of Hong Kong, led by Chair of Creative Writing & Theatre, Page Richards, professor and director of the HKU Guild. The classic Greek myth of Orpheus journeying to the Underworld to bring back his beloved Eurydice gets a new twist in this provocative new dance cabaret.
Other fringe activities include ballet-blah-blah-blah live sessions where Septime Webre will discuss various topics with the HKB dancers and pianist—On Being a Prince, The Entire History of Ballet in 20 Minutes, Ballet's Greatest Hits and Tiaras, Pointe Shoes & Me; children’s ballet workshops led by HKB’s artistic team; and many more unique experiences.
Tour-de-Force Gala, The Vivaldi/Handel Project and Ballet Classics for Children: Cinderella will be staged at The Box, Freespace, Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District during 29–31 January and 5–7 February 2021 with tickets priced at $300 and $200. Early bird offers will be available 3–15 December 2020 on HKB’s official website (hkballet.com), followed by ticket sales from 17 December 2020 via online and telephone booking as well as at the Freespace and Xiqu Centre Ticket Office. Starting from 18 December 2020, tickets are also available at selected Tom Lee Music Outlets (Olympian City, Shatin and Yuen Long). Special festival discounts are available for standard ticket purchases of all three productions. Additionally, The Orpheus Cabaret is free to the public. Advanced registration details will be announced later, and more information about the free programmes will be available in January 2021. Don’t miss this extraordinary dance festival with its dynamic, thought-provoking works for all ages!
All audience members are required to wear their own masks, avoid sharing items and maintain appropriate social distance at Freespace. The safety of our patrons, artists and staff is our first priority, and as such, seating will reflect social distancing regulations in Hong Kong. HKB is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will promptly announce any changes to its performances related to the latest official pandemic recommendations. For the most recent updates, please check the official website of HKB (hkballet.com) and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (www.westkowloon.hk/en/hygienemeasures-freespace).
Creative Team
Tour-de-Force Gala
Le Grand Pas de Deux
Choreography: Christian Spuck
Music: Gioachino Antonio Rossini
Sombrerisimo
Choreography: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Music: Banda Ionica, Titus Tiel Tiel Groenestege, Titi Robin
Pas de Deux from Flames of Paris
Choreography: Vasily Vainonen
Music: Boris Asafyev
Suite from Paquita Grand Pas Classique
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Staging: Tang Min
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Pas de Deux from Flower Festival in Genzano
Choreography: August Bournonville
Music: Matthias Strebinger
Excerpt from Beyond the Line (Hong Kong Premiere)
Choreography: Nguyen Ngoc Anh
Music: Duong xa van dam (The Road to Infinity) by Quoc Trung
New Work (World Premiere)
Choreography: Septime Webre
Pas de trois from Le Corsaire
Choreography: Anna-Marie Holmes (after Konstantin Sergeyev and Marius Petipa)
Music: Riccardo Drigo
The Vivaldi/Handel Project
Handelwerk (World Premiere)
Choreography and Costume Design: Stephen Shropshire ^
Music: Keyboard Suite no.7 in G minor, HWV 432 by George Frideric Handel
Piano: Rachel Cheung
^ Shropshire’s multi-year residency is supported by the Performing Arts Fund NL.
The Lost Season (World Premiere)
Choreography: Hu Song Wei Ricky
Music: Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons for Solo Piano and String Quintet, rearranged by Ray Leung
Costume Design and Production: Cheng Chung Hei Derek, Po Ka Lam Alex @PONDER.ER
Piano: Rachel Cheung
String Quintet: City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong
Galatea & Pygmalion
Choreography: Justyne Li, Wong Tan-ki
Music: Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra—Movement 2 by Philip Glass
Piano: Rachel Cheung
String Quintet: City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong
Ballet Classics for Children: Cinderella
Choreography and Direction: Septime Webre
Associate Director: Ata Wong^
Script and Original Concept: Yuri Ng and Rick Lau
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Costume Design: Yoki Lai
Set Design: Leocampo Yuen
Narrator: Yung Yin Sing Lucas
^By kind permission of Théâtre de la Feuille
The Orpheus Cabaret
Choreography: Forrest Rain Oliveros, Jonathan Spigner, Jessica Burrows, Sarita Chan, Leung Chunlong, Lin Chang-yuan Kyle, Li Lin
Artistic Collaborator: Professor Page Richards
About the Artists
© Cheung Tai Chi
Rachel Cheung
Locally born Rachel Cheung was the first Hong Kong pianist to be a Van Cliburn International Piano Competition finalist in 2017, earning both critical acclaim and the Audience Award for 'outstandingly lyrical' playing that showed 'nobility in her interpretation’. Other accolades include prizes in the 2009 Leeds, 2010 Chopin and 2012 Geneva International Piano Competitions.
Cheung frequently performs both locally and internationally. Highlights of her 2018/19 season include recitals in the US, Mexico, Italy, Poland, the UK, Germany and Japan, and creative collaborations with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and Asian Youth Orchestra, among others.
© CCOHK
City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong
City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) holds a unique position as one of Asia’s leading chamber orchestras. Since its establishment in 1999, CCOHK has performed with many world-class artists including Sir James Galway, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Sir Neville Marriner, Christian Lindberg, Sarah Chang, Philippe Entremont, Julian Lloyd Webber, Sharon Isbin and The King’s Singers. On tour CCOHK has been invited to perform in Italy, Taipei, Beijing and at the 20th China Shanghai International Arts Festival. At home CCOHK is in high demand with performing engagements for Hong Kong Ballet, Le French May Arts Festival, RTHK Radio 4 and The Hong Kong International Piano Competition. CDs include an internationally acclaimed release on OUR Recordings with Danish recorder virtuoso Michala Petri. CCOHK’s original productions for young audiences include Bug Symphony (The Musical) which received the Public Choice Award at the 2017 YAMawards in Portugal. French conductor Jean Thorel served as chief conductor from 2008 to 2016 and was succeeded by Armenian conductor and virtuoso pianist Vahan Mardirossian in 2019.
Hu Song Wei Ricky
Born in Jiangxi, China, Hu Song Wei Ricky trained at Shanghai Dance School and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Hu joined Hong Kong Ballet as a dancer in 2008 and became Choreographer-in-Residence in 2019. He has choreographed for Hong Kong Arts Festival, Shanghai International Arts Festival, Chinese Dance for 12 Days, Shanghai Opera House Dance Ensemble, Hong Kong Ballet and more. With co-choreographer Yuh Egami, Hu’s Bolero (2015) and The Rite of Spring (2019) won Outstanding Ensemble Performance and Outstanding Choreography at the 2016 and 2020 Hong Kong Dance Awards. He received the Award for Young Artist (Dance) at the 2012 Hong Kong Arts Development Awards.
Justyne Li
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.
Nguyen Ngoc Anh
Currently a Lecturer in Dance at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Nguyen Ngoc Anh is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. As a choreographer, Nguyen was invited to create works for Vietnamese Opera Ballet, Theatre Regensburg, Inverse Dance Company, Arabesque Dance Company, City Contemporary Dance Company and Hong Kong Ballet. He won third prize in the Vietnamese National Dance Competition, the New British Choreography Bonnie Bird Award, the Spotlight Award at the UK Critics’ Circle Dance Awards and Outstanding Choreography at Hong Kong Dance Awards. In 2019, Nguyen was appointed Artistic Director for the 21st Hong Kong Dance Awards.
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa has created works for over 50 companies worldwide, including New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Compania Nacional de Danza de Espana, Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Joffrey Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Scottish Ballet and The Washington Ballet. A graduate of the Royal Ballet School of Flanders, she danced for 12 years, including as a soloist at Scapino Ballet, before focusing solely on choreography. In 2010, the Temecula Performing Arts Examiner wrote: ‘Ochoa is truly a masterful choreographer with an edge for what dance can and should be in this constantly changing industry.’
Stephen Shropshire^
Stephen Shropshire is a choreographer, curator and independent dance researcher who has created works for renowned ballet companies all over the globe.
Between 2009 to 2012, Shropshire was the artistic director of Noord Nederlandse Dans. In 2017, he was awarded a special honor prize from the Dansersfonds ’79 for the ‘consistent aesthetic harmony in his work’, and in 2018, his work We Are Nowhere Else But Here won the VSCD ‘Zwaan’ for most outstanding dance performance of 2017.
Shropshire is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City and holds an MA in Arts and Heritage from the University of Maastricht.
^ Shropshire’s multi-year residency is supported by the Performing Arts Fund NL.
Wong Tan-ki
Wong Tan-ki is a freelance dancer, teacher, choreographer and multimedia designer. His work Division won first prize at the 7th Jerusalem International Choreography Competition, and other notable awards include Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance for Galatea & Pygmalion at the 13th Hong Kong Dance Awards and Outstanding Choreography for Galatea X at the 16th Hong Kong Dance Awards. Additionally, Wong received the Award for Young Artist at the 2015 Hong Kong Arts Development Awards and won third place for male solo at the IDO World Tap Dance World Championships 2012.
Yung Yin Sing Lucas
Yung Yin Sing Lucas graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama in 2019. That same year, he was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Peter in Luna Gale at the 11th Hong Kong Theatre Libre and won HKAPA’s Outstanding Actor Award for his role as Zhu Yuanzhang in its production of Dust and Dawn. Recently, he was awarded Level 1-B in the PSC (National Putonghua Proficiency Test).
Performance Details
Tour-de-Force Gala
29–30.1.2021 (Fri–Sat) 8:00pm
Two performances
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes without intermission.
Suitable for participants aged 6 or above. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted.
The Vivaldi/Handel Project
5–6.2.2021 (Fri–Sat) 8:00pm
Two performances with live accompaniment
Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes without intermission.
Suitable for participants aged 6 or above. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted.
Ballet Classics for Children: Cinderella
Cantonese Narration
30.1.2021 (Sat) 2:30pm
31.1.2021 (Sun) 5:00pm
7.2.2021 (Sun) 2:30pm
English Narration
31.1.2021 (Sun) 2:30pm
6.2.2021 (Sat) 2:30pm
7.2.2021 (Sun) 5:00pm
Six performances
Approximately 1 hour without intermission.
Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted.
The Box, Freespace, Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District
$300, $200
Early bird tickets available at hkballet.com during 3-15 December 2020.
Tickets available from 17 December 2020 via online and telephone booking as well as at the Freespace and Xiqu Centre Ticket Office and from 18 December 2020 at selected Tom Lee Music Outlets (Olympian City, Shatin and Yuen Long).
Programme Enquiries: 2105 9724
Hong Kong Ballet reserves the right to alter the programmes and artists.
The Orpheus Cabaret
30.1.2021 (Sat) 5:00pm
6.2.2021 (Sat) 5:00pm
Two performances
Approximately 45 minutes without intermission.
Suitable for participants aged 6 or above. Children under the age of 3 will not be admitted.
The Box, Freespace, Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District
Free admission. Advanced registration is required.
Programme Enquiries: 2105 9724
Hong Kong Ballet reserves the right to alter the programmes and artists.
Discounts
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Early Bird * |
Public Sales # |
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With any standard ticket purchase |
With standard ticket purchase of all three productions |
With any standard ticket purchase |
With standard ticket purchase of all three productions |
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Friends of Hong Kong Ballet members |
15% off |
20% off |
15% off |
20% off |
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Other patrons |
10% off |
15% off |
Refer to the table below |
10% off |
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50% off |
Full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and the minder (Limited tickets for students and senior citizens available on a first-come, first-served basis. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts.) |
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15% off* |
Friends of Hong Kong Ballet members |
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10% off# |
CCDC Dance Inspirations/Student Dance Inspirations Card holders, Chung Ying Theatre Company’s Energy Fun Club plus members, Friends of HKCO members, Friends of HKDC Prestige members, HK Phil’s Club Bravo/Young Audience Scheme members, HKRep Pals members, Zuni Friends members, Fringe Club Members, Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association members, The Hong Kong Association of Theatre Technicians & Scenographers members, HKBU Foundation members, Hong Kong Dance Alliance members and MOViE MOViE members |
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Group Booking |
10% off for every purchase of 10-19 tickets at regular price; |
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Patrons can enjoy only one of the above discounts for each purchase. Hong Kong Ballet in Residence 2021 As part of Hong Kong Ballet’s three-year residency at Freespace, the troupe take over Freespace with a two-week programme of indoor and outdoor ballet experiences for audiences of all ages. This event is part of the commitment of the West Kowloon Cultural District to establish long-term partnerships with local and international arts organisations. |
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Download High Resolution Images
Photo 1: turn(it)out festival promotional image | Dancer: Ashleigh Bennett | Photography: SWKit | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 2: turn(it)out festival: Tour-de-Force Gala promotional image | Dancers (from left): Shen Jie, Venus Villa, Leung Chunlong | Photography: SWKit | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 3: turn(it)out festival: The Vivaldi/Handel Project promotional image | Dancer: Ma Renjie | Photography: SWKit | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 4: turn(it)out festival: Ballet Classics for Children: Cinderella promotional image | Dancer: Amber Lewis | Photography: SWKit | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 5: turn(it)out festival: The Orpheus Cabaret promotional image | Dancers (from left): Wang Qingxin, Garry Corpuz | Photography: SWKit | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
Photo 6: turn(it)out festival: fringe activities promotional image | Dancers (from left): Ashleigh Bennett, Ethan Chudnow | Photography: SWKit | Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet
About Hong Kong Ballet
One of Asia’s premier ballet companies, Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) is internationally recognised as a vibrant arts institution that represents Hong Kong’s unique character. Established in 1979 and led by Artistic Director Septime Webre, HKB has a dynamic repertoire performed by nearly 50 dancers from all over the globe and award-winning education and community programmes.
With almost 50 international tours, HKB has won recognition from critics and fans both at home and abroad. Its diverse repertoire includes classic and modern masterpieces, original full-length ballets created for HKB, an interactive ballet series for younger fans and groundbreaking dance by today’s most sought-after choreographers, including Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Jiří Kylian, Nacho Duato and Trey McIntyre, among others.
HKB maintains an active schedule of community initiatives throughout Hong Kong to ensure that ballet is accessible to people from all walks of life.
About Freespace
Freespace is Hong Kong’s new centre for contemporary performance in the heart of the Art Park in the West Kowloon Cultural District, presenting multi-genre performances and events. It produces boundary-pushing collaborations and promotes new ways of seeing and experiencing performance. Freespace houses The Box, one of the largest black box theatres in Hong Kong, a flexible space for cutting-edge performances. Two multi-purpose spaces—The Room and The Studio—are designed for creative exchange and artistic collaborations. Lau Bak Livehouse is an intimate bar cafe presenting live music from Hong Kong and around the world.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on forty hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances and cultural events, providing 23 hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
For further information, please contact:
Nick Chan
Director of Marketing
T: (852) 2105 9716
M: (852) 9728 1777
[email protected]
Nichol Chau
Senior Marketing Officer
T: (852) 2105 9753
M: (852) 5632 1755
[email protected]
