RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
grace, were greeted with high acclaim. In May, the company was proud to re-stage San Mao in Shanghai with the Shanghai Oriental Youth Dance Troupe.
Hong Kong Ballet
Hong Kong Ballet presented six productions in the 1996 season including two newly commissioned full-length ballets, Peter Pan by Graham Lusting and Swan Lake by Stephen Jefferies. Other interesting productions included revivals of Peter Darrell's The Nutcracker, Peter Anastos' Cinderella, a Choreographic Workshop, and a special tribute to Frederick Ashton, doyen of the English School of Ballet. The Ashton programme included two of his shorter ballets, Les Patineurs (The Skaters) and the premiere, Les Deux Pigeons (The Two Pigeons).
Exploration Theatre
Exploration Theatre presented a series of new works titled Dragons Trilogy comprising Hongers, A Tale of Three Cities and Dragon's Legend in Hong Kong and toured the production to Canada. A new initiative, the Seed and Bud Project, helped foster the development of original work and the training of young playwrights.
The Hong Kong Sinfonietta
The Hong Kong Sinfonietta presented eight concerts, 16 open educational concerts and 54 accompaniment performances during the year and represented Hong Kong's musical achievements at the China National Day Celebration Gala.
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
The academy continued to enjoy a high international reputation as one of the world's most comprehensive multi-disciplinary institutions of higher education and professional training for the performing and related technical and media arts.
Established by ordinance with an autonomous governing council, the academy enrolled its first students in September 1985. In addition to the four performing Schools of Music, Dance, Drama and Technical Arts, a new School of Film and Television was created during the year to meet the growing and fast-developing needs of the broadcasting, film-making and media industries in Hong Kong. The new school offered its own study programmes for the first time in September 1996.
The most significant development during 1996 was the completion of a government-commissioned consultancy study on the market demand and social need for performing arts education in Hong Kong. It was conducted by an independent overseas consultant with field work undertaken by a local research firm and the results were submitted to the government for consideration.
The academy continued to place strong emphasis on performances, productions and other forms of practical work in the teaching and learning processes. More than 250 public performances of concerts, recitals, drama, dance, opera and musical shows were given during the year, including four extremely successful evenings of Academy Music at the Government House. The Broadway musical comedy Damn Yankees, produced by the School of Drama and performed on the occasion of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent's visit to the academy in November was among the highlights of the year. Offenbach's opera-bouffe La Vie Parisienne, an example of
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