Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall Tomorrow-Sat, 8pm, Sat-Sun, 3pm In 1981, at the age of 21, Irek Mukhamedov became the youngest man to dance the leading role in Spartacus with the Bolshoi Ballet. He's now in town to perform this piece that earned him a place in Russian ballet history - giving it a 21st-century twist with help from the Hong Kong Ballet. The name Spartacus is, in the ballet world, forever associated with the great Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich. But the work is more than three decades old and it's time for an update. Mukhamedov, who is now London-based, has returned to the original book by Raffaello Giovagnoli and devised a new scenario that's free from the 'political considerations' of the Soviet Union that had dictated the work in the past. According to the Hong Kong Ballet, the production will depend more on lighting than physical scenery, to allow maximum use of space for dancing. So it's only appropriate to put John A. Williams in the lighting design hot seat. Having trained with one of England's oldest theatre companies, the Bristol Old Vic, Williams became its head of lighting and went on to light more than 250 local and international productions, including West End and Broadway shows. Williams is no stranger to the Hong Kong Ballet, having lit numerous shows for the company, including Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Spartacus will feature top dancers, including principals Nobuo Fujino and Faye Leung. Both have performed overseas, with Fujino recently picking up the Hong Kong Dance Awards best performance prize presented by the Hong Kong Dance Alliance. Set to a score by Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, Spartacus features a demanding choreography for male dancers, including epic battle scenes, gladiator fights and romantic pas de deux. This new work is sure to add sparkle to the Hong Kong Ballet's increasingly unique repertoire. $80, $130, $180, $230 Urbtix. Inquiries:2105 9724