Reviewed: May 22

It is the Hong Kong Ballet's 30th anniversary and this gala programme should have been a triumphant confirmation of the company's progress in the past 10 years. Granted, there was good work by some of the guest stars, but ill-conceived programming and puzzling casting prevented the troupe's dancers from being seen at their best. The evening was not improved by the amateurish and obtrusive emceeing by ballet board member Flora Cheong-Leen and her husband Russell Wong.

The brightest spot for the ballet was a brilliant account of Balanchine's Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux from Jin Yao and Huang Zhen. But two of the company's senior principals were not cast, while a pas de deux by two inexperienced dancers was cancelled without notice. Petipa's Paquita and Balanchine's Theme and Variations were reduced to truncated extracts that did not allow the dancers to do themselves justice. Instead of full versions of these masterworks, the ballet performed two pieces by this programme's artistic curator, Wang Xinpeng, artistic director of Dortmund Ballet. Wang's choreography lacks originality and the three works included in the show were uninspired.

On the guest front, virtuoso fireworks were provided by Berlin's Shoko Nakamura, spectacular in a solo from Renato Zanella's Alles Walzer and the Royal Ballet's Roberta Marquez and Steven McRae in a rousing Don Quixote pas de deux. McRae was outstanding in a solo from Wayne McGregor's Chroma, which provided a contrast in choreography. Tan Yuanyuan, the ballet's guest principal artist, appeared in a pas de deux by Helgi Tomasson and Edward Liang, partnered strongly by San Francisco Ballet's Damian Smith. Tan's lightness and flexibility are admirable but her dancing suffers from exaggerated mannerisms.

The high point of the show was the grand pas de deux from Coppelia with the Royal Ballet's Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg. They demonstrated how great dancers can illuminate choreography and thrill the audience with impeccable dancing, warmth and charm.