EVEN the waiters were starting to look anxious. ''Another drink and I'll be able to swim to this show - if it ever happens,'' one of the guests at the Swatch promotion said, waving away the offer of yet another liquid refreshment. Finally, the summons came. ''This way,'' said the guide, leading the gaggle through the back door of the Academy for Performing Arts and into the administration block. Brows creased in puzzlement. ''I thought it was in the Lyric Theatre,'' said a woman following the rest through the silent building. It got curiouser and curiouser. ''Through here,'' the guide urged. ''Come to the front - that's it, not too far,'' came a fresh order as the crowd huddled together. Suddenly, the penny dropped. ''We're in the orchestra pit,'' one of the brighter sparks said, just as gravity was defied with a pneumatic whir. Up, up, rose the crowd, then everything became clear. Dead in front were the tables, suspended above them were huge geometric mobiles and beyond lay the theatre. Dinner was being served on stage at the Lyric. It ended a couple of hours later with marzipan and mousse confections shaped like watches followed by a game of bingo with a twist. Only a few got to yell Swatch! and win prizes but no one felt short-changed. What a fabulous night's entertainment. Whoever dreamed up Part of the Art deserves a gold-plated Swatch watch. Willy Tsao and his marvels from the Guangdong Modern Dance Company should get one each. It was, without doubt, one of the most original product promotions staged in Hongkong. The sight of the girl in the swing, her gauzy white dress and veil wafting gently as she swayed to and fro above the upper balcony seats was like something out of a dream. That was towards the end. By then, the mesmerised audience had been treated to dancers dressed like ninjas - the black a perfect foil for the colourful watches adorning wrists and arms - characters out of Chinese opera and a 16th century masked ball and beings from another planet. Heads swivelled and craned as the spotlights fell on yet another enthralling vision - on standing blocks scattered around the dinner tables, on stages to the side and back, even on seats in the stalls and balconies. It was a feast of choreography, set toa pot-pourri of classical and contemporary delights, and there was even fashion as the Guangdong dancers displayed Gianni Versace's new season Versus range. ''I'm sure you will agree China now has a modern dance company to be proud of,'' said Willy Tsao, founder and artistic director of the ensemble he juggles along with his own City Contemporary Dance Company. He should take them all - local and mainland dancers alike - to the Sino-British talks. A super happening provided by the miracle man and even the hard-liners would be purring.
