HONG KONG BALLET'S latest offering, Suzie Wong, is a far cry from the traditional dance fare the city is accustomed to. The production, which takes the popular book and film, The World of Suzie Wong, as its inspiration, is anything but typical.
'I really wanted a Hong Kong ballet,' says Stephen Jefferies, artistic director of the company and choreographer of its latest original creation. 'I wanted something that would make people say, 'Only Hong Kong Ballet could do this'. I wanted something steeped in history.'
The Suzie Wong story has all the makings of a distinctively Hong Kong story, with just the right dose of drama, says Jefferies. Suzie Wong marks his second full-length original ballet as choreographer.
Set against the colourful backdrop of Hong Kong in the late 1950s and 60s, Richard Mason's novel was a cliched east-meets-west love story in its portrayal of the romance between a struggling American artist and a Wan Chai prostitute. The 1960 film starring William Holden and Nancy Kwan popularised the story around the world, making Suzie Wong a household name.
For years, Jefferies had wanted to set the tale to dance, but it wasn't until about five years ago, while talking to a promoter overseas, that the idea began taking shape. 'I mentioned my idea and he said he'd invite us to perform if we did it. That spurred me into action. I ate, slept, drank and dreamt this ballet for five years.'
The first step was finding the right composer. As luck would have it, a friend introduced Jefferies to Hong Kong-born pianist, arranger, producer and composer Chris Babida, whose work for pop stars, film, television and theatre has run the gamut from pop to jazz, classical, alternative, new age and Chinese instrumental.