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RECREATION AND THE ARTS
No overseas touring was undertaken in 1985, but plans were advanced for two overseas tours to take place during 1986.
Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra is a professional Chinese music orchestra formed by the Urban Council in 1977. The orchestra has been innovative in introducing new musical works by commissioning local and overseas composers to undertake compositions and arrangements. It combines Western orchestration with Chinese music and instruments and, to encourage different styles of musical interpretation, local and overseas guest conductors are invited to appear with the orchestra. During the year, the orchestra gave 71 concerts to a total audience of 80 350. Apart from regular concerts at the City Hall and New Territories town halls, the orchestra also toured schools and took part in district festivals to promote Chinese music.
Hong Kong Repertory Theatre
The Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, a professional drama company set up by the Urban Council in 1977, continued to gain popularity with its Cantonese productions and regularly played to near capacity audiences at the council's various venues. Its 218 performances during the year attracted 69 694 people. In addition to staging seven major productions, the company performed at schools and district community centres. In June, the company was invited to perform in Canton. This was a great success in terms of audience response and cultural exchange. The company also organised the annual Drama Festival in July and August.
Chung Ying Theatre Company
The Chung Ying Theatre Company, a government-subvented professional drama company whose prime role is 'theatre in education' continued to develop an audience throughout the territory, not only in schools but also in community centres. The company presents productions in Cantonese and English, both separately and bilingually. Chung Ying added four new productions to its existing repertoire: City of Cats for 'A Seasons of Chinese Plays' in the Arts Centre, Fantastic Fairground for the Children's Arts Festival, The Dragon's Disciples (a children's play) and I am Hong Kong – which was particularly successful with adult audiences. These last two productions were presented in their English versions at a festival in Adelaide, Australia, in May where they received public acclaim and favourable reviews by critics.
Hong Kong Academy of Ballet
The Academy of Ballet's school is in the final stage of integration into the Academy for Performing Arts. This will be completed in June 1986.
The company continued to give professional performances and presented several major productions in 1985. In October it presented three of Fokine's ballets produced by Nicholas Beriozoff for the Festival of Asian Arts; and in December it presented the full-length Nutcracker. These productions also involved the academy's own students and those of the Academy for Performing Arts.
The company made its first overseas tour, to Taiwan in February, at the invitation of the Lions Club of Taipei, and Nutcracker was performed to four full houses at the Dr Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall.
The company also took part in eight local districts' arts festival and cultural pre- sentations during the year, and vigorously pursued its schools educational programme,