HK Ballet’s Glam Rock
The Hong Kong Ballet’s latest offering was a triple-bill programme at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Attractively titled “Glam Rock”, it included included two premieres.
Opening the evening was the premiere of “Martlet” created by Ricky Hu, the company’s choreographer-in-residence, and his wife Mai Jingwen. It is set to songs by the famed local band Beyond which was founded in the 1980s. The costumes are designed by the Hong Kong designer Robert Wun.
The theme seems to be of a young man searching for freedom. Martlet in the title is a legless bird. Perhaps a purple-clad woman soloist represents the bird. The female ensemble’s white costumes have long wing-like sleeves. There is a lot of empty emoting in this ballet. The young man dances a grieving solo at the end as if continuing to fight for freedom.
The choreography is bland overall. The ballet seems more like a fashion show. The best part is a duet in the middle which is full of high lifts. It was beautifully danced by Ye Feifei and Ryo Kato. But it seems detached from the rest of the ballet. Luis Cabrera was impressive as the young man, while Teng Ronger was eye-catching as the female soloist. At least this ballet is short, which is commendable.
The middle work “Strangelove” was premiered by Hong Kong Ballet two years ago. It was created by the Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis, and set to songs by the British electronic music band Depeche Mode. The decor is minimal and consists only of a row of white lights, and the dancers wear unitards of different colours.
The speedy and breakneck choreography of Foniadakis recalls the style of Willian Forsythe. But it is all one-keyed without any slower section as a contrast. Since the vocabulary is narrow in range, it becomes boring after a while.
This work nevertheless provides a lot of technically challenging choreography for the dancers. Particularly outstanding were Garry Corpuz, Wang Qingxin, and Vanessa Lai. The final duet was striking, and was impressively danced by Corpuz and Zhang Xuening.
“Strangelove’ seems less avant-garde than Forsythe’s masterpiece “In The Middle” which was also performed in the same programme two years ago. It would have been better to revive this Forsythe work instead.
The evening closed with the company’s premiere of “Mercury Half-Life” choreographed in 2013 by the American choreographer Trey McIntyre. The company had danced his other work “A Day in the Life” set to songs by Beatles in 2018. This new work is set to the music of Queen, the legendary British rock band formed in 1970 with Freddie Mercury as a lead singer.
The 45-minute-long work has an infectious joy. The group dances celebrate camaraderie and a happy community spirit. McIntyre’s masterly choreography shows good craftsmanship, and his flair in building form and structure. There is a good variety of solos, duets, trios, and group dances.
This ballet brought out the best from several of the company’s leading men. It opened with a tap-dancing solo excitingly performed by Basil James. Shen Jie danced stylishly in the solo “Another One Bites the Dust”, as well as in another solo. Ryo Kato also excelled in another solo.
Also impressive was Teng Ronger in a female solo towards the end. Teng was also expressive in the duet ‘Love of my Life” with Kato. I had never noticed this corps de ballet dancer before. Another female corps de ballet dancer, Choi Jayeon, shone in a duet with Basil James. This ballet is worthwhile for giving solos to these junior dancers.
Superbly danced by the whole cast, “Mercury Half-Life” was by far the most outstanding work in this “Glam Rock” programme of the Hong Kong Ballet.
(Photo by Conrad Dy-Liacco – HK Ballet in Mercury Half-Life
Courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet)
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