The Hong Kong Ballet and the City Contemporary Dance Company both pulled out all the stops to celebrate their 40th anniversaries, but anti-government protests saw ticket sales slump and even a show of Swan Lake halted.

Akram Khan’s farewell full-length solo performance ‘Xenos’ in Hong Kong showed off his mastery of theatre, his trademark brilliant use of design and integration of live music, and hisown extraordinary dancing.

In the Norwegian National Ballet’s starkly powerful retelling of Ibsen’s 1881 play for Hong Kong’s World Cultures Festival, production values offset complicated plot issues thanks to clever touches of theatre.

A work of startling relevance in the MeToo era, Rigoletto requires the right balance between the forces of light and darkness, one not quite achieved here despite the production’s excellence, vivid acting and natural singing.

In one of his first films, Frenchman Philippe Joly was only allowed one take, and got danger money – ‘Well, its explosives,’ they said; since then he’s died opposite Andy Lau, Chow Yun-fat and Jackie Chan. Now he wants meatier roles.

Brilliantly choreographed, company’s new take on Stravinsky ballet about a sacrificial maiden makes it a parable of humankind’s destruction of nature; it was the pick of a thrilling triple bill of contrasting works danced with fierce commitment.

Winterreise and The Rite of Spring show the range of Lai’s talent, from the intimate to the flamboyant. Her mastery of the stage is on display throughout, with outstanding performances from Chou Shu-yi and Irene Lo.

Hamburg Ballet veteran was on stage to narrate highlights of his journey through dance, performed as part of the 2019 Hong Kong Arts Festival; excerpts showed his ability to create both narrative and abstract ballet.

Lin, 72, has led Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre for nearly 50 years, and put Asian dance on the international map, but he steps down later this year. His iconic works are being performed at this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival.

Artistic director Septime Webre pulls out all the stops with stunning visuals, gorgeous music and an abundance of good dancing. Where it falls short as an adaptation of a great novel, it makes up for in sheer entertainment value.

Qioa Yang, 55, shows off her astounding flexibility in this celebration of her career. The lighting and videography were brilliant, but some of the choreography failed to do the dancer justice.

No fewer than three productions of Giselle, the farewell appearance of Jin Yao and an epic performance of Yuri Grigorovich’s Spartacus were highlights. But Hong Kong Dance Company’s puzzling season was a disappointment.

The first show, Nuts’hell, looks at psychiatric diagnosis and insanity. The second show, Jangdan, is a more commercial dance than contemporary.

• Veteran dancer Jin Yao gives her ‘finest performance’ in emotionally charged ballet and guest dancer Marcelo Gomes lifts production to new heights.

• Brazilian who quit American Ballet Theatre under a cloud relishes opportunities in his new career as a freelance. A guest in Hong Kong Ballet’s production of Giselle, he says the company can skyrocket under Septime Webre.

Royal Ballet choreographer Wayne McGregor’s Tree of Codes opened the New Vision Arts Festival with a full-length production that was stunning to watch but ran out of things to say.

A co-production between Hong Kong Opera and New York City Opera, the show was a mixture of great vocal talent, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s great rendition of the score and a plot with a few weaknesses.

Ashley Sutton’s tribute to the Art Nouveau era is carried through in meticulous detail, offering a gorgeous array of Tiffany stained glass lamps, tables and candle holders, with classic cocktails to match.

The annual choreographers’ showcase had its moments, but the original pieces showed signs of a lack of mutual inspiration between artists and dancers.

A key card gets you into a dimly lit retro looking bar, where transparent cocktails can be ordered from an invisible menu. However, the staff are young and inexperienced and some of the drinks could be larger.

Founded by two celebrated mixologists, Joe Villanueva and Sandeep Kumar, the bar’s regal interior sets the tone, and the signature cocktails focused on adding a Spanish twist to classic concepts, complements it perfectly.

The first production choreographed by artistic director Septime Webre that the troupe has performed, this Alice is magically inventive and packed with spectacular effects

In this generous space, patrons can choose from four craft beers from The Artist, a brand of artisanal beer from Belgium on sale here, but more choices are needed if it’s to compete in Hong Kong’s overcrowded craft beer market.

The competition for dancers aged 15-19 and organised by Britain’s famous Royal Academy of Dance, was held in Hong Kong and 16-year-old local dancer Jordan Chan took home the award. Gold medals went to Australian Joshua Green and New Zealander Monet Hewitt.

The ping pong ball drinking game at Pong is drawing the crowds eager to let down their hair after work, the signature cocktails look impressive, and there’s a striking neon feel to the place when the sun goes down. This bar’s a keeper.

Murray Lane may be away from your usual Central hangouts, but this bar at the new Murray Hotel is a perfect venue for a chilled after-work drink or even a relaxed business meeting. Food is served all day too.

The Grimm Brothers’ tale performed in Hong Kong has been given a few twists and a Scottish flavour by choreographer Christopher Hampson, and benefits from stunning visuals and simple comedy that children will identify with

Khan’s reimagining of the classic ballet leads the audience on a roller-coaster ride in the first act, with Crystal Costa shining in the title role, although the sombre lighting sometimes made it hard to make out the dancers on stage.

‘Wheeldon, Ratmansky, McIntyre and The Beatles’ features contrasts in choreographic style, but not in mood – and none of the works on show have the kind of substance you can get your teeth into.

Timeless story about passion and freedom is brought to life by world-class artists, including Armenian opera singer Varduhi Abrahamyan whose huge voice matches her thrilling stage presence