ENG-2006 — Page 444

376 | Recreation, Sport and the Arts

City Contemporary Dance Company

The City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) was established in 1979. It is a professional modern dance company that nurtures the best talent to create dance in the context of modern China. In 2006, the company produced two mixed bills. Iron and Silk and Feng Shui, as well as two new full lengths, Nijinsky and Testimony. Besides taking part in the annual Guangdong Modern Dance Festival, the company was invited to perform in the Novel Hall in Taipei. The CCDC Dance Centre offered a great variety of dance courses to the public and developed new audiences through its outreach programmes.

Hong Kong Ballet

A new chapter opened for Hong Kong Ballet in July 2006 with the appointment of a new Artistic Director John Meehan, former ballet star and artistic director of American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. In the same year, the company rolled out two new productions, Suzie Wong which was premièred in March and restaged in November, and Balanchine and Beyond, premièred in October; and four revivals: Classics and Beyond, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Nutcracker.

The company also invited internationally renowned ballerina Merrill Ashley to Hong Kong to stage Balanchine ballets. During her stay, Merrill conducted a master class and an evening presentation for the public, which was received enthusiastically. The company was also invited to take part in the 1st Asia Pacific Ballet Festival held in Seoul, Korea, in November.

Apart from mainstream productions, the company's Education and Outreach Department organised various activities including an Artist in Residence Scheme, A Multi-media Dance Education Project - Le Spectre De La Rose, Making Dances and Holiday Ballet courses.

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra

Founded in 1977, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO) was incorporated as a non-profit-making organisation in 2001. It is now the only professional, full-scale Chinese orchestra in Hong Kong. Under Artistic Director Yan Huichang, the 85-member orchestra has gained international recognition.

The HKCO has its roots in Chinese tradition and has thrived on its musical arts, but it is also constantly trying to combine the musical arts of the East and the West. During the year, the orchestra organised the 'Cadenza of Hong Kong' project. Two concert series, An East-West Crossover and Music from the Heart, were presented to showcase works by composers around the world.

During the year, the orchestra gave more than 150 performances. Overseas tours to Australia, New Zealand and London have strengthened the orchestra's image as a cultural ambassador for Hong Kong. Furthermore, the orchestra has continued its work in arts education through the Hong Kong Children Chinese Orchestra, the Junior Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, instrumental classes, as well as music educational projects carried out jointly with tertiary education institutions.