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Internationally renowned flamenco choreographer María Pagés will lead her dance company to visit Hong Kong again for the Asia premiere of "Utopia" in April.
A declaration of principles in the form of flamenco dance, "Utopia" shows the admiration that Pagés holds for the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, a humanist who, on his death last year at the age of 104, left the unmistakable sinuosity of his buildings as a legacy. The production also displays respect for the integrity, commitment and solidarity that guided his life and have become both an inspiration and a message. "Utopia" is an emotional reflection on the yearning, the imagination and the instinct that human beings possess, empowering themselves to dream of living in a better future.
"Utopia", in essence, is a poetic dance - one that summons poems by Charles Baudelaire, Mario Benedetti, Pablo Neruda, Antonio Machado, Larbi El-Harti and Niemeyer himself, as well as lines from Miguel de Cervantes' "Don Quixote". These are poems that delve into solidarity, commitment, exile, the fleetingness of life, the littleness of man in a cosmos indifferent to his miseries and greatnesses, and, now more than ever, on the need for imagination and idealism as the necessary motors of change. All this is danced by Pagés alongside dialogue spoken by Niemeyer: "When life is degraded and hope flees from the hearts of mankind, revolution is the only path to take."
Born in Seville, María Pagés is internationally renowned for her personal concept of the aesthetics of flamenco art. She understands art as being unlimited and justly holds her own place in the world dance panorama. Whilst making use of the conventional codes in the language of flamenco and investigating its ins and outs, Pagés has proved to be a real pioneer in conceiving flamenco as an art that is in constant evolution, modern and alive. She has gone beyond cultural differences in her choreography, and is convinced that artistic interaction favours understanding between human beings. As she puts it, flamenco is a clear example of how the uniting of cultures, races and religions can create an echo that is common to all.
In 1990, Pagés established the María Pagés Compañía. Since then the company has performed on the world's best and most prestigious stages, and has also carried out tours with social objectives in various countries.
Presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, "Utopia" will be staged at 8pm on April 19 and 20 (Friday and Saturday) at the Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall. Tickets priced at $160, $220, $280 and $360 are now available at 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 students and CSSA recipients available on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20 per cent is offered for the group booking package.
For programme enquiries, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/program_148.html. Ticketing enquiries can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Friday, February 22, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:01
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