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Bashu Spice

HK Dance Company Cultural Centre

Continues tonight and tomorrow

Bashu Spice, which premiered last night, is a joint effort by two choreographers from Sichuan, Liu Lingli and Mei Yunggang.

This 80-minute work consists of 12 different dances which pay homage to the unique culture of the Han people as well as the ethnic minorities of Sichuan province, such as the Miao and Yi.

The work started theatrically with a short ensemble dance for male dancers clad in gold costumes, representing the artefacts of deities unearthed from an archaeological site.

This was followed by another virile dance for men, whose handling of bamboo sticks depicted their hard work irrigating farmland.

The various ensemble dances generally showed off the men to better advantage than the women, who sometimes appeared too eager to please with their exaggerated smiles.

However the women's upper bodies formed a pleasing pattern in the Qiang dance Young Erma Maiden, and their arching upper spines also enhanced the Mosuo Women dance.

Despite the predominance of group dances, there was also scope for some soloists to shine. Yang Yizi danced expressively as the lead in the pretty ribbon dance Kangding Love Song. And earlier in the evening she showed her range in a vivacious allegro dance as a flirtatious 'chilli' girl with two rival admirers.

Ke Zhiyong brought down the house with his dazzling virtuosity as a teahouse soloist dancing with a giant teapot.

Yang Yuntao danced strongly in an upbeat duet with Tsang Ho Wai. But a more heart-warming duet would have been welcome in this work as a contrast to the prevailing high energy level.

Still, the variety of Sichuan dances made for a pleasurable evening and for an artistic performance that could be warmly applauded.



Flirtatious dancers prove to be hot stuff