RECREATION AND THE ARTS
The company continued to run drama workshops for children and adults in 1989. The addition of an Education Officer to the staff greatly enhanced the company's link with the schools in promoting educational activities and workshops.
The earlier part of the year saw two successful runs of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a Cantonese version of Tom Stoppard's witty play, which was well received in January in the Hong Kong Arts Festival and during its re-run in June. Also at the Shouson Theatre at the Arts Centre was the farewell performance of Pinocchio, the delightful puppet who won the hearts of audiences young and old.
Breaking new ground, the company's Comic Trilogy in September, a presentation of three one-woman plays, gave individual actresses the challenging opportunity to explore this particular genre. Focus on the full company returned at the end of the year with the specially commissioned musical Fated Night, staged as part of the opening festival programme of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
Hong Kong Ballet
The year proved to be one of significant achievement for the company, befitting the celebration of its 10th anniversary. The company has now grown to 30 dancers, with internationally-renowned guest artists and a standard of performance and presentation which is acclaimed by press and public.
At the 1989 Arts Festival, Hong Kong Ballet presented two very ambitious works, Concerto (choreographed by Sir Kenneth MacMillan), and Cheri by Peter Darrell, starring Galina Gamsova. Both were very well received. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied the ballet in these works.
The next major season was in June, again at the Lyric Theatre of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. It was appropriately entitled Celebrations and displayed the wide range of the company's repertoire from classic (Concerto Barocco, by Balanchine) to modern works (Jardi Tancat, by Duato and All the Sun Long by Hong Kong Ballet's Artistic Director, Garry Trinder). A special guest in the season was Renee Robinson from the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, dancing Ailey's famous solo Cry.
In September, the company presented a full-scale production of Swan Lake, produced by Andre Prokovsky and sumptuously designed by Peter Farmer. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied the ballet, and from America Valentina and Leonid Kozlov appeared as guest artists, as did Susan Hogard of the English National Ballet. The season included a gala performance and reception in aid of the ballet.
The company took its production of Swan Lake to the new towns of Tuen Mun and Sha Tin for the Regional Council, which also engaged the company for smaller performances at other venues in the New Territories.
A Christmas production of The Nutcracker saw the ballet performing for the first time at the new Hong Kong Cultural Centre's Grand Theatre. This glittering production has become a firm favourite with Hong Kong audiences of all ages.
City Contemporary Dance Company
In 1989 the City Contemporary Dance Company celebrated its 10th anniversary with three special dance programmes between March and August: 10th Anniversary Retrospective, X Isle Isle X and Hell Screen. These featured innovative dance works by the company's two artistic directors, Willy Tsao and Helen Lai, and the prominent New York choreographer Sussan Deihim.
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