Hong Kong Dance Alliance Awards
28-4-14
By: Maureen Coulter
Dance is alive and well in Hong Kong, judging by the 16th Hong Kong Dance Awards evening held on 25 April at Kwai Tsing Theatre. The categories for the awards, and the performances during the evening showed not only the diversity of dance genres that are flourishing in Hong Kong, but also the passion and drive of local dance practitioners.
Ten awards were presented. These included Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer and Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer, awarded respectively to Justyne Li for Galatea X, and Lai Tak-wai from City Contemporary Dance Company for his performance in In Search of the Grand View Garden. Justyne Li graced the stage a second time, joined by Tan-ki Wong, to receive the award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography, for their co-choreographed work Galatea X. Also twice mentioned was Hong Kong Dance Company’s Mulan, which received awards for Outstanding Dance Production and Outstanding Ensemble Performance. The latter award was shared by Hong Kong Ballet for their production The Merry Widow.
Hong Kong Dance Company and Global Design received Outstanding Design for Dance, awarded for Masquerade.
Dance cannot thrive without innovation, and independent productions were rightfully acknowledged for their contribution to Hong Kong dance. The award for Outstanding Independent Dance Production was presented to DanceArt for their work M-cident and, in recognition of the vital importance of fostering dance with young people and the community, the Outstanding Achievement in Youth and Community Dance was awarded to two groups: City Contemporary Dance Company for their site-specific performance Journey to the West and Hong Kong Ballet for “Live Your Dreams.” A new award, for the Outstanding Achievement in Presenting Dance in the Mass Media, was presented for the local Hong Kong film The Way We Dance.
The Distinguished Achievement Award was presented to Willy Tsao, the founder and Artistic Director of the City Contemporary Dance Company. Tsao’s contribution to Hong Kong Dance and the development of contemporary dance in China is immeasurable and it was heartening to see this publicly acknowledged.
It was a pity that there were no video clips of the performances and designs that won awards. Those in the audience unfamiliar with the works and/or performances that won awards would no doubt have appreciated a taste of the qualities rightly defined as outstanding. Nevertheless, the performances by the City Contemporary Dance Company, The Hong Kong Ballet, the School of Dance from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the solo dancers Ivan Chan and Henry Shum served well to represent the dance genres that flourish in Hong Kong. What defined all these performances was the energy and commitment of the performers. The streetdance popping and beatboxing went down particularly well with the audience and for sheer exuberance and visual effect, the excerpt from The Plateau, performed to percussion by Hong Kong Dance Company deserves mention.
The most exciting performance of the evening was an extract from the Spanish choreographer Duato Nacho’s work Castrati performed by the Hong Kong Ballet. The strong rhythms and powerful ensemble work that define Nacho’s works were enhanced visually by the men’s costumes—floor-length gowns that displayed their chests and legs. The effect was stunning and a lesson in how costumes can be an intrinsic part of the choreography and contribute to the sheer theatricality of dance.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and inspiring event that bodes well for the future of Hong Kong dance.
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