Ballet ace encourages Hong Kong students of all ages, noting time is greatest challenge in city
Joffrey Ballet educator claims her method is uniquely relevant as she debuts her work locally with two productions
Young Hong Kong dancers have nearly everything going for them except time, an internationally renowned ballerina has observed.
Venezuelan-born Victoria Vargas, a globetrotting ballerina and choreographer, expressed sympathy over the sight of local children running on tight schedules filled with activities and carrying heavy school bags on their backs.
“The students here are very talented but they are very busy with school,” she said, recalling her first impression of Hong Kong from a visit last year. “Their mind is so tired after school that they have no energy for it even if they want to be there.”
Vargas, based in Chicago, noted that her students at the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet typically spent four hours daily in practice, but rental rates in Hong Kong were so expensive that only an hour was feasible. “So it seems to me ballet is not too important here,” she added.
Still, she returned to the city in March to conduct a masterclass on learning ballet following “The Fifth Position Method”, which she created to empower a healthy workout in the performing art.