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Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Rambert Dance Company's Hong Kong debut in September will feature "What Wild Ecstasy", a dance piece performed in the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
"The piece is part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad and it is the only dance commission as far as I know, so I feel very privileged that we are part of such a big thing in a unique way," said Mark Baldwin, choreographer of "What Wild Ecstasy" and Rambert Dance Company's Artistic Director. The dance piece features a newly scored version of Debussy's "L'Après-midi d'un faune" and, in response, score writer Gavin Higgins has taken Mallarmé's poem of the same title and Debussy's harmonic palette, as well as the choreography of Valslav Nijinsky's ballet "L'Après-midi d'un faune", as a starting point in creating a partner to the original piece.
Apart from this, the company's first-ever Hong Kong visit will feature a sensational programme of diverse dance works: the breathtakingly athletic "Monolith" by Tim Rushton and Christopher Bruce's uplifting "Hush", plus the Rambert version of Nijinsky's iconic "L'Après-midi d'un faune". A performance by Rambert promises drama and spectacle in equal measures.
Rambert Dance Company, established in 1926, is Britain's oldest dance company. The large-scale contemporary dance company tours constantly, each year giving around 75 performances all over Britain with a total annual audience of 50,000 people on average. The company also tours overseas regularly. It presents a varied programme of contemporary classics and new works by a range of British and international choreographers. It is also committed to nurturing choreographers from within its own ranks. Its 22 dancers are among the finest in the world and come from both classical and contemporary backgrounds. The multi-award-winning Rambert Dance Company has spent 85 years at the heart of British dance. With an international reputation for excellence and creating performances of the highest quality, Rambert has the power to delight and inspire audiences throughout the world.
The performances by Rambert Dance Company will be staged at 8pm on September 14 and 15 (Friday and Saturday) and at 3pm on September 16 (Sunday) at the Auditorium, Kwai Tsing Theatre. Tickets priced at $420, $360, $280 and $180 are now available at all URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by credit card telephone booking. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their minders, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients (limited tickets for CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis).
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/000003e6.html. For ticketing enquiries, please call 2734 9009. For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For Internet bookings, please visit www.urbtix.hk.
A pre-performance talk will be held at 7.30pm on September 12 (Wednesday) at the Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Science Museum. The talk will be conducted in English by the Artistic Director of Rambert Dance Company, Mark Baldwin. Admission is free. For registration and enquiries, please call 2268 7323. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ends/Monday, August 6, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:30
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