THE Studio is an exceedingly surprising place to stage a dance performance. There is scarcely sufficient room to stroke the proverbial cat, let alone swing it.
Fortunately, the first piece features only two performers representing the working life and the good life. (La Dolce Vita Lan Kwai Fong - the first piece in Open Party - is inspired by the Italian movie.) The elegantly tall and fashionably dressed young lady who represents glamorous Lan Kwai Fong society (a rare opportunity for a dancer to wear Doc Marten's), mocks a short and shabby slow-moving man. As a comment on his quality of life, she stuffs screwedup paper in his mouth and ears, and blinds him with the dark glasses which are chic on her but a handicap for him, then leaves him to die. A simple tale simply told.
The claustrophobic space seriously cramps the rest of the show, however, as three male and three female dancers perform East Is Red and Open Party.
The former opens with the entrance of the dancers carrying various lights led by a bare-chested man symbolising traditional China.
Things suddenly become very hectic. The company perform a vigorous partying piece, no less pleasing for being somewhat cliched. One section is heavy with unsubtle eroticism.The men strip to their pants and the women to their provocative lingerie. Order finally prevails to conclude with a depressing but typically materialistic comment of the search for personal fulfilment.
The audience clearly enjoyed themselves, but it was apparent that the show had been woefully under-rehearsed.