The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) presented a dance performance, "Convergence - A Journey of Chinese Dance & Martial Arts", in Sydney, Australia, yesterday (August 23) to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and showcase Hong Kong's unique East-meets-West culture.

     In collaboration with the Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) and the Sydney Dance Company Pre-professional Year (SDCPPY), the performance fostered a cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Australia in a hybrid format through an in-person performance by pre-professional year students from the SDCPPY, an online dance production "Convergence" by the HKDC as well as a virtual live dialogue session with representatives of the HKDC. The event was well received by around 100 audience members.

     The online dance production "Convergence" by the HKDC was first performed in 2020, capturing the transient state between stillness and motion, and between dance and martial arts. The HKDC and the SDCPPY embarked on a co-learning and co-creation journey through a series of workshops, practices and reflections that further blends Chinese dance and martial arts with the elements of Western dance. The successful collaboration was demonstrated through the in-person performance by the SDCPPY.

     The Director of the Sydney ETO, Miss Trista Lim, said in her welcoming remarks that the name "Convergence" not only showcases the interdisciplinary collaborations of dance and martial arts, but also represents the uniqueness of Hong Kong - a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures bringing together dynamic talents and breeding innovative ideas. She added that this echoes with the National 14th Five-Year Plan which clearly supports Hong Kong to develop as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

     "To realise our new cultural positioning, the HKSAR Government will continue to develop world-class cultural facilities and a pluralistic cultural environment. Spanning 40 hectares along the shore of our world-famous Victoria Harbour, the West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the world's largest cultural projects blending traditional local culture with international and contemporary elements. The M+ museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum are some of our latest exciting additions in the District," she said.

     Miss Lim welcomed all international dance companies to take the stage at the Lyric Theatre Complex to be completed in 2024, which will serve as an exploration, development and collaboration hub for dance companies and artists.

     The Sydney ETO hosted a reception after the performance to further enhance the cultural exchange between the dancers and the audience, and to promote Hong Kong's unique arts and cultural scene.

     For details on other celebration events of the Sydney ETO, please visit www.hketosydney.gov.hk/eng/25A/celebrationevents.html.

Ends/Wednesday, August 24, 2022
Issued at HKT 17:30

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