ENG-2009 — Page 455

Recreation, Sport and the Arts I 379

enriching cultural life. It is a venue partner of the Kwai Tsing Theatre and Yuen Long Theatre.

In 2009, the company staged the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Moliere's classic French farce The Miser, an experimental production Theatre Newbies, an imaginative family entertainment Kids at Room 2009, a series about schools including Freshly Frozen School, The School & I and La Jeunesse of the May Fourth Movement. It also co-presented The Legend of Nu Wa with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.

The company's outreach and professional education programmes strive to connect people through stage performances and drama education.

City Contemporary Dance Company

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The City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) was established in 1979. It is a professional modern dance company that nurtures creative dance talent in the context of modern China. In 2009, the company presented five productions outdoor gala entitled The City of K, and stage performances including What's Next? Crime Very Dance!, As Nothing, and its 30th Anniversary closing programme, Dao Extraordinaire. The company was also invited to perform in Busan in South Korea and in Guangzhou. The CCDC Dance Centre continued to offer members of the public a variety of dance courses as well as develop new audiences through its outreach programmes.

Hong Kong Ballet

The Hong Kong Ballet celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2009. The year's highlights included GALAXY an international gala featuring the company's dancers and world ballet stars. It also presented four full-length ballets, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker as well as a new choreography showcase, Up Close & Personal. Two innovative mixed bill productions All Bach (a programme of the 37th Hong Kong Arts Festival) and Symphony of Movements completed the season.

In January 2009, the company made its debut at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing with Swan Lake and in September, it performed Giselle at the Poly Theatre in Beijing. In the summer, it staged Cinderella at the Macao Cultural Centre.

The company continued to play a prominent role in promoting the art of ballet in the community, reaching over 30 000 people during the year.

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra

Founded in 1977, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra is the city's sole professional symphonic Chinese orchestra. Its 85 members have been promoting the development of Chinese music under the theme 'Radiating from Hong Kong-Empowering Chinese Music in the World'. It organises over 140 concerts and activities each season.