RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
of Music offers courses in Chinese and western music. The School of Technical Arts provides training in theatre and television.
In the 1991-2 academic year, there were 499 students on full-time courses leading to the awards of Professional Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Diploma, Advanced Certificate and Certificate. In addition, 705 students were enrolled on Junior Courses in dance and music which were provided for talented young people of school age and took place mainly on Saturdays. Continuing education in dance for evening part-time students was also offered by the School of Dance.
A major concern of the academy during 1991 was the planning towards becoming a degree-granting institution as approved in principle by the Executive Council in 1989, subject to accreditation being carried out by the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation. The target date for admission of the first batch of degree students is set for September 1992.
Performance is the priority for the students and a wide range of public performances by academy students from all schools was presented in 1991.
The School of Dance introduced a weekly studio series called Academy Dance Ensemble to present to the public the work of its repertory classes of all three streams over a period of six weeks in March to May. In June, a new dance production entitled Ooh La La was mounted. It was specifically choreographed by the Japanese choreographer Yasaki Sasa with designs by Christina Gianinni of New York based on the glass creations of Louis Comfort Tiffany. In December, another new dance production with a 'space' theme was presented, aimed at the young Christmas audience. The school made three overseas tours during the year, taking part in the International Festival of Dance Academies in Manila, a dance festival in Delhi, and the Summer Arts Festival at Montoire in France.
The School of Drama performed in March three one-act plays based on Chekhov short stories titled Orchards. Deadly Ecstasy, an adaptation of the classical Greek drama The Bacchae by Euripides, and Saint Joan by Shaw were staged respectively in June and November. Other productions presented during the year included Violinists, Rice Tea and Table for Five, the former two written by graduates and the latter by an undergraduate of the academy. During a tour to China in June, Deadly Ecstasy was staged in Beijing and Shanghai.
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During the year, regular concerts were given by the Academy Chinese Orchestra and the Academy Symphony Orchestra of the School of Music. Renowned visiting conductors were involved, including Wang Fu-jian from Beijing and Denis de Coteau from San Francisco. Monday lunch-time concerts continued through 1991, attracting large audiences. A major innovation was the introduction of the Advanced Opera Course which mounted three full-scale productions during the year - Puccini's La Boheme in February, Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring in May, and Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte in December. The academy continued to encourage its student musicians to undertake outside engagements, both as a learning experience for their future professional careers and also as a service to the community. Academy students were therefore heard playing or singing at private dinner parties, conference dinners, and in hotel surroundings, such as in the innovative Soiree Classique series.
All academy performances including overseas tours involved creative input and technical support from students of the School of Technical Arts who provided scenic, costume and lighting design, and stage management. In June, students and staff from the school's
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