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Experienced choreographer Mandy Petty will present the tap dance performance "Pay It Forward" starring young choreographers Ken Kwok and Huynh Eric in October. With an energetic blend of music and rhythm, the show promises a few surprises for the audience.
Mandy Petty began her dance training in the UK at an early age. At 16 she embarked on a 3-year full-time dance course at Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, where she received training in ballet, tap and jazz dancing as well as singing and acting. She was the first recipient of the Marjorie Davis Star Tap Award and took teaching qualifications at the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), receiving an award as the most promising teacher. She settled in Hong Kong in 1981 and was invited to teach tap dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), a time when tap began to take hold here. In 1995 she became a full-time lecturer at the HKAPA, teaching jazz and tap dancing. Over the years she has choreographed many dance concerts and musicals, including "42nd Street" and "Crazy for You".
Ken Kwok graduated at the HKAPA majoring in musical theatre dance. He is now a freelance dancer, choreographer and founder and member of R&T (Rhythm & Tempo), as well as a dance teacher at the HKAPA's Extension and Continuing Education for Life, and City Contemporary Dance Company Dance Centre. While studying at the HKAPA he attained the ISTD Advanced Tap Certificate with Honours. He later joined the Hong Kong Dance Company as a full-time dancer. He has also studied modern, tap and jazz dancing in France. He performed at the 2008 Hong Kong Dance Awards and his choreography {2x2K} was invited to be performed at the Taipei Tap Festival 2008.
Huynh Eric also graduated at the HKAPA in musical theatre dance and is currently a freelance performer, choreographer and dance instructor. He was awarded the ISTD Intermediate Tap Certificate with distinction. Since graduation, Huynh has performed lead roles in several musical productions with the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Hong Kong Dance Company, Theatre Space, Actors' Family, Class 7A Drama Group, Spring-time Stage Productions and others. He has choreographed dance productions and taught dance courses for several organisations and education institutes.
"Pay It Forward" is one of the programmes in the "Dance in Parallel Line Series" presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. It will be performed at 8pm on October 18 and 19 (Friday and Saturday) at the Theatre, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre. Tickets priced at $200 and $160 are now available at URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by credit card telephone booking. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for CSSA recipients are available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for group booking packages, please refer to programme leaflets for details.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/program_328.html. Ticketing enquiries can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
A series discount of 10 per cent is available for any purchase of standard tickets for "Pay It Forward" as well as Angela Hang and Flora Hon's "Dig-a-Dig" (November 15 to 17 at the Theatre, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre). Please refer to programme leaflets for more information.
There will be a meet-the-artists session after the performance on October 18.
Ends/Friday, September 6, 2013
Issued at HKT 10:00
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