Hong Kong's biggest ever dance extravanganza is taking place next month. More than 1,600 dancers will kick up a storm from June 8 to 18 in an array of performances ranging from classical ballet and Chinese dance to modern dance and hip-hop. Presented by the Hong Kong Dance Alliance, the Hong Kong Dance Festival will feature 38 performances and lectures by local and overseas professionals from the United States, South America, United Kingdom, Korea and many other countries. There will also be 143 master dance classes. The festival aims to celebrate and recognise dance as an indispensable ingredient in life by bringing international and local dance communities together, according to Tom Brown, chairman of the Hong Kong Dance Alliance. Hong Kong's flagship dance companies, City Contemporary Dance Company, the Hong Kong Ballet and the Hong Kong Dance Company, will kick-start the festival on June 8 with Dance Trinity, a kaleidoscopic showcase of modern dance, ballet and Tibetan dance drama. Another highlight is the International Festival of Dance Academies, a programme featuring some of the finest young dancers from academies around the world. The dance students, aged 17 to 22, will perform works by renowned choreographers from June 13 to 17. In one of these shows, the Purchase Conservatory in the US will perform Paul Taylor's stunning Cloven Kingdom, while Transitions Dance Company/ Laban from the UK will perform award-winning Crystal Pite's Unstill Life and Sarah Michelson's Swan Lake. 'The dancers you see on stage in Hong Kong will be principal dancers in a couple of years,' said Mr Brown. There is also a series of free programmes. The Spirit of Dance Rally is a non-stop dance marathon featuring 800 dancers which will take place from 1pm to 6pm on June 6 at the Piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. In the Specific Dance series from June 12 to 16, dancers will perform inside the lifts at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts while real-time video images of the dancers will be projected onto the wall of the lobby. For cutting-edge footwork, check out the indepenDANCE series on June 12, 14 and 16 which highlights 15 independent choreographers from eight countries on three nights. Local choreographer Yeung Wai-mei's (above) You Had Better Dance is a 20-minute witty solo work. She uses everyday life gestures, pop tunes by The Beatles and image projections to tap into her emotions and thoughts about being a dancer. 'After dancing for almost two decades, I sometimes ask myself how long I can remain a dancer,' said Yeung. 'The piece reflects my passion for dance. I want to dance until the day I just can't do it anymore.' Tickets for the dance festival are available from HK Ticketing on 31 288 288 and Urbtix on 2734 9009. For more information, go to www.hkdanceall.org