Margaret Lau to give lecture series on ballet appreciation
**********************************************************
The storylines of literary classics are highly compelling, often involving interwoven conflicts and depicting the complicated side of human nature, highlighting the multi-layered depths of human emotion and character. Creative dance pieces by choreographers from different eras have been inspired by these stories, and are matched with beautiful and touching music to underline the variations in atmosphere and heighten the drama. Such enchanting music also encourages choreographers to create non-narrative short sequences to bring out the emotional exchanges between dancers and to help express their state of mind as they interact during a performance. This interaction of choreography and emotion in turn invites members of the audience to use their imagination and associate the performance with their own thoughts and ideas.
The lectures will take place at AC1, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. They will be conducted in Cantonese and supplemented with video clips of repertoire, and will commence at 7.30pm. Details are as follows:
July 20 (Thursday): "Don Quixote"
Video clips: La Scala Ballet (Italy), the Royal Ballet (United Kingdom), Paris Opera Ballet (France), the Dutch National Ballet and Mariinsky Ballet of St Petersburg (Russia)
August 3 (Thursday): "Les Sylphides" and "Scheherazade"
Video clips: Mariinsky Ballet of St Petersburg, the Royal Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre
August 10 (Thursday): "Lady of the Camellias"
Video clips: Bolshoi Ballet (Russia), the Hamburg Ballet (Germany) and Paris Opera Ballet
August 17 (Thursday): "The Dream" and "Carmina Burana"
Video clips: The Birmingham Royal Ballet (United Kingdom), the National Ballet of Japan and the Atlanta Ballet Company (United States)
August 24 (Thursday): "Anna Karenina"
Video clips: Eifman Ballet of St Petersburg (Russia) and Mariinsky Ballet of St Petersburg
August 31 (Thursday): "Firebird", "Afternoon of a Faun" and "In the Night"
Video clips: Mariinsky Ballet of St Petersburg, the Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet
September 7 (Thursday): "The Taming of the Shrew"
Video clips: Stuttgart Ballet (Germany) and Bolshoi Ballet
September 14 (Thursday): "The Nutcracker"
Video clips: The New York City Ballet (United States), the Mark Morris Dance Group (United States) and the National Ballet of China
September 21 (Thursday): "The Winter's Tale"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada
September 28 (Thursday): "The Merry Widow"
Video clips: The National Ballet of Canada, the Hong Kong Ballet and the Houston Ballet (United States)
Margaret Lau holds a bachelor of arts degree and a postgraduate diploma in education from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a master of arts degree from the University of Hong Kong. She is a dance critic and feature writer for various magazines and newspapers in Hong Kong, and has worked as a researcher for the ballet section of the publication "A Dance History of Hong Kong". Her other engagements include writing feature articles, conducting dance talks and translating house programmes for dance performances. She has also translated teaching materials and prospectuses for the teaching certificate programmes of the Royal Academy of Dance. Lau has been the speaker of the Lecture Series on Appreciating Ballet since 2009.
The Lecture Series on Appreciating Ballet "Literary Texts and Fine Music in Motion" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $50 for each lecture are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_268.html.
Ends/Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:00
Issued at HKT 15:00
NNNN