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Outstanding Asian dancers will converge on Hong Kong this summer to showcase their talent. They will display new trends and bring new perspectives to the medium of dance in a tapestry of performances.
¡§A Showcase of Asian Dancers¡¨ will feature original pieces from choreographers and dancers: Cheng Jin's ¡§100% Cotton¡¨ and Tan Hongtao's ¡§Eggs Under the Red Flag¡¨ (Mainland), Wong Tan-ki's ¡§A Voice from the City¡¨ (Hong Kong), Chou Shu-yi's ¡§Start with the Body¡¨ and Wu Yi-san's ¡§Steps of Summer¡¨ (Taiwan), Kim Bo-yong's ¡§You + Me = LOVE... say goodbye...¡¨ (South Korea) as well as Jay Jen Loo's ¡§Heart.Beat¡¨ (Malaysia). The performances will be visually exciting, dynamic and enjoyable.
Cheng Jin joined the Guangzhou Song and Dance Ensemble in 1994 and toured with the group. She was the principal as Xiaoyingzi in the dance drama ¡§Xian Xinghai and The Yellow River Cantata¡¨, which was honoured on the Mainland. Cheng has won numerous other awards on the Mainland.
Tan Hongtao graduated from the Department of Choreography, Beijing Dance Academy, in 1999. He choreographed the dances, "The Sound of Flutes¡¨ and ¡§Dawn and Road¡¨, and received a Class Three Award and the National ¡§Outstanding Gardener¡¨ Award.
Wong Tan-ki is a graduate of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in Musical Theatre and Ballet. Wong has performed with various dance companies. Recent performances include ¡§Chinese Martial Arts Dance Series - Episode VII (2008)¡¨; ¡§Symphnic Magic¡¨ (Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, 2008); ¡§Emerging Choreographers Series I, Taking Off - Narcissus and Echo¡¨ (Justyne Li, 2007).
Wu Yi-san joined the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in 1994, City Contemporary Dance Company in 1996 and was a member of South ¡§ASLI¡¨ Dance Workshop from 1996 to 2001. In 2000, Wu received the Hong Kong Dance Award from Hong Kong Dance Alliance. In 2003 and 2006 she was listed in ¡§Hong Kong Dance Hall of Fame¡¨.
Chou Shu-yi has been choreographing since 2003. His works were selected twice by the Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Centre's "New Idea Dance Showcase". His solo work ¡§Street Lamp¡¨ was selected by Cloud Gate 2's Seed Choreographer's Project and performed in the International Dance Conference in 2004. This year he was selected for the Lo Man-fei Dance Fund for the 2008 Choreography Programme.
Kim Bo-yong is a member of dance group RETINA and has performed in ¡§Scarecrow¡¨ and an International Dance Festival in Pusan in 2007.
Jay Jen Loo received the Best Performer Award at the Malaysian Chinese Dance Festival in 1988. He was a dancer with the Hong Kong Dance Company and Cloud Gate Dance Theatre from 1990 to 1995. He joined City Contemporary Dance Company in 1996. Loo is now a choreographer and dance teacher for many dance companies in Malaysia.
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), produced by the E-side Dance Company and directed by Jacky Yu, ¡§A Showcase of Asian Dancers¡¨ will be at 8pm, from July 31 to August 2 (Thursday to Saturday) and at 3pm, on August 2 and 3 (Saturday and Sunday), at the Cultural Activities Hall, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre. Tickets priced at $180 are now available at URBTIX outlets. Half-price concessions will be granted to senior citizens aged 60 or over, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. (Limited tickets for students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis.) For group booking discount, please refer to the programme leaflet.
For programme enquiries, call 2268 7323 (LCSD) or 2372 9351 (E-side Dance Company); for ticketing enquiries and reservations, call 2734 9009. Internet bookings are available at www.urbtix.hk. For credit card telephone bookings, call 2111 5999. Visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp for more information on the programme.
A post-performance meet-the-artists session will be held after the August 2 night show. Admission is free.
Ends/Monday, June 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 10:01
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