Folk Dance And Music Spectacle, Het International Danstheater, Sha Tin Town Hall October 24 Worthwhile performances to watch take on two forms - one that enlightens the mind and the other that delights the spirit.
Het International Danstheater's Hong Kong debut most certainly satisfied the latter - it was a light-hearted spectacle which featured folk dance and live music from all corners of the globe including the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Tibet, Turkey, India, Russia, China and North America.
It is highly improbable for any one company to be proficient in completely capturing the mood and essence of so diverse and demanding a repertoire. This was evident in some of the dances as the spirit and movement quality were not quite authentic, especially in the dancers' interpretation of the more subtle Asian pieces. But while the audience was absorbed by their sense of vitality and dedication, we hardy minded that the Chinese fan dance looked very balletic or that the Chinese costume really had a Russian-looking collar.
The choreography, arranged by various choreographers, was earthy and robust. Apart from slight deviations, costumes and props were excellent and complemented the dance and music to create scene after scene of rich folklore. The lighting, however, had some obvious flaws which appeared to be the result of inadequate preparation.
The stars of the show were the brilliant musicians who made up the company's orchestra. All seven are virtuoso players and zealous performers on a wide spectrum of instruments - from Chinese string instruments to the gypsy cembalo, from the blues clarinet to scaled-down Caribbean steel drums.
The versatile musicians' ever-changing interpretations and adaptations captured the many flavours of the evening.