Dance Theatre X Minimal Canto-Opera WAITING HEART Wins Two Hong Kong Dance Awards

Hong Kong Dance Company and Utopia Cantonese Opera Workshop's joint presentation of Waiting Heart premiered in 2018 to great acclaim and won two Hong Kong Dance Awards in 2019 ̶ Outstanding Medium Venue Production and Outstanding Lighting Design. From 24 to 26 September 2021 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre, this artistic adventure across boundaries returns to the stage, celebrating an inheritance of traditions and the wonders of contemporary imagination.

From a Tang dynasty romance and a Ming dynasty opera to the masterful Cantonese opera adaptation by Tong Tik-sang, The Legend of the Purple Hairpin and the unrelenting love of its protagonists Li Yi and Huo Xiaoyu have seen countless reiterations. In this modern-day take contemplating multiple universes, the different versions of Huo Xiaoyu are locked in a myth of destiny and self-determination. Will she accept a fate cut short? Continue to search for happiness? Or fight for what she believes in?

Waiting Hearts adapts an unconventional use of the theatre space. The multi-dimensional audience seating encompasses various perspectives. The audience may either watch from the balcony or observe the characters' delicate movement intimately in the stalls. The unconventional stage design allows the audience to either immerse themselves in the performance as an insider, or alienate themselves from the stage as a spectator.

Award citation:

"The production brings together Chinese dance and Cantonese opera in this compelling re-imagining of The Legend of the Purple Hairpin, which makes inventive use of the venue to give the audience fresh perspectives and draw them into the action. Stunning designs, Yang Yuntao's superb choreography and heartfelt performances bring out the intense emotion of this classic tale of love and devotion."

Hong Kong Dance Company and Utopia Cantonese Opera Workshop's joint presentation of Waiting Heart premiered in 2018 to great acclaim and won two Hong Kong Dance Awards in 2019: Outstanding Medium Venue Production and Outstanding Lighting Design. In September 2021, this artistic adventure across boundaries returns to the stage. Waiting Heart adapts the masterful work of Tong Tik-sang, interwinds Cantonese Opera and dance performance to narrate the unrelenting love of its protagonists Li Yi and Huo Xiaoyu. The unconventional stage design allows the audience to take the liberty to select their viewing perspectives ̶ either immerse themselves in the story in the stalls or spectate from the balcony.

Waiting Heart

2021.9.24-26 (Fri-Sun) 7:45pm
2021.9.25-26 (Sat-Sun) 3:00pm
Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
HK$280 / HK$220

Tickets available at URBTIX i?oeProgramme Enquiry 3103 1806i?oewww.hkdance.com

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