There are many things veteran actor Lau Siu-ming likes to talk about. He describes the meticulous preparations he undertakes to perform in the smallest of cameos - and is more than keen to demonstrate when words aren't enough. He's also eager to discuss the philosophy of Tsui Hark's The Butterfly Murders, in which he made his acting debut in 1978. And he has a polished spiel about how film school isn't a pre-requisite for good filmmakers.
Only two topics evoke stony silence. For one, his private life is off limits. The other no-go area is his work as a dancer, which won him praise in Europe from the 1970s, providing him with artistic credentials that are second to none in local show business. He's one of the founders of the Hong Kong Dance Federation, where he still serves as vice-president.
'There's not much to crow about,' he says. 'I once did well enough to the point of being invited to study under the best in the field - but I haven't repaid their efforts with impressive results. That's why I never want to talk about it.'
He's also understated about his standing among local choreo-graphers and dancers, yet he was presented with the Hong Kong Dance Award in 2002, and his rare guest appearances in local performances are seen as highlights of the season.
Not that many would know of Lau's sparkling contribution to dance. He's best known as an actor who appeared in many popular TVB serials in the 1980s - as a cunning gambler (The Shell Game 2, opposite Patrick Tse Yin) or a rich tycoon (with Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing in Once Upon an Ordinary Girl).
'A career in acting has surely opened up my perspectives away from the small world of dance,' says Lau, who trained in Cannes and directed performances for groups in France and Belgium, including the Ballet du XXe Siecle under Maurice Bejart. 'I don't have to be pedantic about my achievements in that form of art and do something that could reach a much bigger audience. I don't have to worry about performing only to a few thousand people - now I can play to millions.'