2020 might have been a challenging year, but even with social distancing in place, we can still find joy and inspiration in the arts as they leap onto the digital stage.
This autumn, ArtisTree continues to inject positivity into the Taikoo Place community – by supporting CCDC, Hong Kong’s leading contemporary dance company, to bring you full-length productions during the inaugural CCDC Digital Dance Season. Featuring both seasoned and emerging talents, the programme explores various aspects of life – from love and relationships, to the idea of self and different societal values – in a series of original dance performances.
While these productions were initially created as live performances, they have since been redeveloped and optimised for online streaming, and the result is nothing short of spectacular. So sit back, relax and enjoy these shows right from your home – and catch them before they are gone.
A Lover’s Concerto
Episode 1 | Premiere: 13 September, 8pm; on-demand viewing: 13-15 September
Episode 2 | Premiere: 18 October, 8pm; on-demand viewing: 18-20 October
Some say building a relationship is like dancing with a partner – it’s an art of collaboration that requires communication, compromise, practice and a shared goal.
In this collection of duo dance pieces, we see couples of different generations, who all met at CCDC during its 41 years’ history, recount their romantic tales through beautiful choreography. Some of these stories are intense and passionate, such as Lover and Loner performed by Bobo Lai and Terry Tsang; others are sweet and heart-warming like La La Li La Tang Pong 2020 by Malaysian couple Choo Tee Kuang and Loke Soh Kim.
Each episode includes three dances as well as five-minute meet-the-artists sessions during which they share their choreographic inspiration and views on love and relationships.
Project NEXT Wave
Premiere: 2 October, 8pm; on-demand viewing: 2-4 October
Get ready for a creative adventure with some of Hong Kong’s most promising dance artists, including CCDC dancers Felix Ke and Christy Poinsettia Ma, as well as independent artist KT Yau. In Project NEXT Wave, the trio has joined forces with dance filmmaker Rita Hui to create three thought-provoking pieces.
In Ongoing by Ke, you’ll be taken to an imaginary world where civilisation ceases to exist; then, enjoy a Feast prepared by Ma, who believes how we eat is also a reflection of how we perceive the world. Finally, join Yau in her reduction experiment, noBODY, which puts performers in a cramped environment to see how they create meanings with nothing but a limited space and their own bodies. These dances not only showcase a rich diversity of choreographic ideas, but will also open up discussions on humanity, nature, and our social and personal values.
Solara & Luna
Premiere: 30 October, 8pm; on-demand viewing: 30 October-1 November
Sometimes, life feels like an inescapable cycle – when we feel trapped, silenced, lost, how do we find hope? In this performance inspired by Chakra philosophy and the concept of yin and yang, follow choreographers Kong Wing-yee and Kwok Tsz-ying as they try to escape their destiny and discover their true selves in the process.
As part of CCDC Dance Centre’s REAL Showcase Series, a programme that supports budding local dance artists to stage their works in small theatres, Solara & Luna brings the duo’s creative talent into the spotlight. Kwok’s Hip Hop-inspired freestyle movements add an emotional rawness to the performance, and Kong’s choreographed exploration of the theme of “distance” will inspire you to rethink the relationship between your mind and your heart.
Find out more about the CCDC Digital Dance Season and get your tickets here.
Photo credit: Zero Visibility Corp.
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