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Natasha Rogai

Suzie Wong - The Ballet

Hong Kong Ballet

Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium

Reviewed: March 18

Stephen Jefferies is going out on  a high note. Suzie Wong, his  last original work for Hong Kong Ballet as artistic director, is an atmospheric tribute to  the 1960s. Demure girls in full-skirted cotton frocks by day become slinky cheongsam-clad temptresses by night, and the city's energy and dynamism  radiates off the stage.

Based loosely on Richard Mason's  novel, the ballet is a love story between bargirl Suzie and foreign artist Jack (boy meets girl, girl tries to give up her life as a prostitute but is dragged back into it, boy finally gets girl).

The ballet benefits immeasur-ably from Chris Babida's superb score,  ranging from ferocious jive to a gorgeously lush love theme. Above all, it's always danceable. This is Babida's  first ballet (his background is in film and television) - let's hope there'll be many more.

The ballet combines classical technique with ballroom dancing, and the dancers managed the transitions well - especially  the  women,  switching between high heels and pointe work. Jive on pointe might seem a curious concept, but the  sequence in Act 2 was  a highpoint  and deservedly  brought down the house.

The work has weaknesses.  Act 1 is  thin, Act 2  too long, and Jack's character  too peripheral (which  is true to the book but weakens the  story). The choreography  is uninspired and  repetitive, the strongest sequence being Suzie's  assault by the  police inspector.

Overall,  this was an immensely entertaining evening,  show- casing Jefferies' ability to create  a detailed, three-dimensional world on stage, and  use his dancers to best effect.

Faye Leung  perfectly captured Suzie's mixture of sexuality and innocence, and was superbly partnered by guest artist Bengt Jorgen. The whole company was so good it seems unfair to pick  out individuals, but standout performances included Crystal Costa as Suzie's friend, Jin Yao as her rival, and Izaak David Claase as the police inspector.



Suzie Wong - The Ballet