https://www.scmp.com/rss/500516/feed From Hong Kong to New York and beyond, find out what's happening in one of the most graceful and elegant - and punishingly hard to learn - forms of dance. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet is the front runner to take home the golden statuette for Marty Supreme – but he definitely has not won fans in the ballet and opera worlds. In a town hall discussion late last month with Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey hosted by CNN and Variety, the 30-year-old Chalamet was discussing the future of movie theatres and whether the advent of streaming will spell doom for cinemas. “If people want to see it – like Barbie, like Oppenheimer – they’re going to go see it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345840/timothee-chalamet-faces-music-saying-no-one-cares-about-opera-and-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345840/timothee-chalamet-faces-music-saying-no-one-cares-about-opera-and-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:45:24 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai This year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival opened with La Bella Otero, a full-length narrative work from Spain’s leading dance company, Ballet Nacional de España. La Bella Otero offers a lively, entertaining showcase of Spanish dance – always popular in Hong Kong, as the rapturous reception from the audience showed – and Noelia Ruiz did an excellent job of conveying star quality, high energy and sexual allure in the title role. On the downside, choreographer Ruben Olmo and dramaturge Gregor Acuña-Pohl... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3345134/la-bella-otero-led-wild-life-ballet-hong-kong-tries-tell-her-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3345134/la-bella-otero-led-wild-life-ballet-hong-kong-tries-tell-her-story?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung A new collaboration between Hong Kong Ballet (HKB) and Pure Fitness promises to combine “grace and strength” in a series of community workshops to demystify the classical dance form while promoting wellness culture and the science of modern fitness in Hong Kong. Designed to dispel the perception of ballet as an inaccessible and elite art form, the programme, titled “You Are More Than You Know”, kicked off with introductory workshops on February 7 and 8 at Pure Fitness in IFC Mall in Central, led... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343004/hong-kong-ballet-and-pure-fitness-join-forces-offer-new-exercise-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3343004/hong-kong-ballet-and-pure-fitness-join-forces-offer-new-exercise-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Paola Ventimiglia Paola Ventimiglia Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known as Caravaggio, would have loved to “free” that form trapped in marble – and even more so to paint a statuesque, sculpted body like that of ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Every muscle in his finely defined physique tells the story of the effort, discipline and sacrifice the international star of classical dance has invested to become who he is today at the age of 50. I meet him at the Teatro Carlo Felice in the Italian city of Genoa, ahead of a performance... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3339596/ballet-star-roberto-bolle-dance-and-discipline-caravaggio-and-chiaroscuro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3339596/ballet-star-roberto-bolle-dance-and-discipline-caravaggio-and-chiaroscuro?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai “Dancer’s life. Always injury,” Natalia Osipova said philosophically. The superstar Russian ballerina had just arrived in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Ballet’s annual gala, but, nursing a hurt foot, she could not perform Don Quixote’s demanding, virtuoso pas de deux as planned and had to substitute it with The Dying Swan instead on October 15. On the night, she also performed the Balcony pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet with Patricio Revé from Queensland Ballet. It was a coup for the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3330145/superstar-ballerina-natalia-osipova-being-ugly-duckling-constant-pain-baby-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3330145/superstar-ballerina-natalia-osipova-being-ugly-duckling-constant-pain-baby-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:15:12 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu It is now the middle of October and we have reached a mid-month slump, where the Mid-Autumn celebrations are over, but the Halloween fun remains just out of reach. However, that does not mean Hongkongers must wait in limbo at home. Even the “non-eventful” weeks of the month can be fun. Here are five things to do this weekend. 1. Romeo + Juliet with the Hong Kong Ballet Debuting in 2021, the Hong Kong Ballet’s Romeo + Juliet is returning to the stage with five shows from October 17 to 19. Set... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3329194/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-17-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3329194/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-october-17-19?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 02:15:08 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Bookings for the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival have begun, following the release of the full line-up on October 16, which features more than 1,000 artists from around the world. The festival, which runs from February 27 to March 30, 2026, will open with Ballet Nacional de España performing the Asia premiere of Rubén Olmo’s dance drama La Bella Otero. The production, which features Flamenco and elements of Belle Époque, tells the life story of Carolina Otero, a 19th-century Spanish dancer and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3329250/hong-kong-arts-festival-2026-include-caravaggio-ballet-and-music-mozart-and-bach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3329250/hong-kong-arts-festival-2026-include-caravaggio-ballet-and-music-mozart-and-bach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:45:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ten years ago this month, Misty Copeland sat in front of a hastily arranged news conference fighting back tears of pride over her new role: principal dancer for New York’s American Ballet Theatre (ABT) company. “This is it,” she said, with emotion. “This has been my dream since I was 13.” The occasion was highly unusual. Normally, when a dancer is promoted, a brief press release is issued. But this was Copeland, a crossover star with fame beyond the insular world of ballet. And now she was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3315008/pioneering-ballet-dancer-misty-copeland-diversity-and-whats-next-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3315008/pioneering-ballet-dancer-misty-copeland-diversity-and-whats-next-her?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Jun 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa English director Rose Glass’ 2024 film Love Lies Bleeding, a queer romantic thriller, has been described as “intense”, “edgy” and “unapologetically horny” by film critics. Anna Baryshnikov takes on the role of Daisy, a stringy-haired girl with big blue eyes, decaying teeth and a huge crush on co-star Kristen Stewart’s character Lou. For Baryshnikov, whose father is Sex and the City actor Mikhail Baryshnikov, it was love at first sight when she read the script. “I’m such a sucker for the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3313290/meet-anna-baryshnikov-who-plays-opposite-kristen-stewart-love-lies-bleeding-daughter-ballet-dancers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3313290/meet-anna-baryshnikov-who-plays-opposite-kristen-stewart-love-lies-bleeding-daughter-ballet-dancers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Jun 2025 11:00:08 +0000 SCMP Reporter SCMP Reporter The weekend is upon us and if you haven’t had time to check out what’s going on, don’t stress – we have you covered. Hong Kong Ballet’s new production of Giselle at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre is a must-see, while The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental is the place to be if cocktails are your thing. You can have a ball at a workshop on Lantau where you will learn how to make a Thai herbal compress or, if you’re in need of retail therapy, Lane Crawford’s Anya Life pop-up featuring playful products... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3313187/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-june-6-8-cocktails-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3313187/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-june-6-8-cocktails-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Jun 2025 02:00:10 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai Hong Kong Ballet’s new production of Giselle boasts lavish new sets and costumes by internationally acclaimed designer Jérôme Kaplan. The first night featured outstanding performances in the leading roles from guest artists Marianela Nuñez and Matthew Ball. The dancing from the company as a whole was excellent, with the female corps de ballet superb as the Wilis (ghosts) in Act 2. Kaplan has switched the ballet from its usual medieval setting to Victorian times. His Act 1 set is truly stunning –... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3312723/giselle-review-hong-kong-ballet-combines-outstanding-dancing-lavish-sets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3312723/giselle-review-hong-kong-ballet-combines-outstanding-dancing-lavish-sets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters In the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, it is hard to escape the war with Russia. On some days, when the wind blows in the right direction, residents of the historic city can hear the boom of artillery fire from the front line, some 30km (19 miles) away. Most nights, Russian kamikaze drones packed with explosives buzz over apartment buildings as parents put their children to bed. Frequently – but unpredictably – a Russian ballistic missile will slam into the city. Three years on from Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3312689/ukraines-ballet-basement-sends-message-wars-front-lines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3312689/ukraines-ballet-basement-sends-message-wars-front-lines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui You don’t often hear a Hong Kong dance production compared to a blockbuster film’s success on Oscars night, but that was how the Hong Kong Dance Alliance described a near clean sweep of its annual awards by Hong Kong Ballet’s The Butterfly Lovers. “This is astonishing – it feels like Oscars night in the year of Titanic,” said the awards’ co-chairman, and Post dance critic, Natasha Rogai. At the awards ceremony, held at the Fringe Club in Central district on May 19, The Butterfly Lovers won a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3311826/titanic-sweep-hong-kong-dance-awards-and-sinking-feeling-about-dances-standing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3311826/titanic-sweep-hong-kong-dance-awards-and-sinking-feeling-about-dances-standing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 May 2025 02:45:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Legendary Russian ballet dancer and choreographer Yuri Grigorovich has died aged 98. Born in the Soviet city of Leningrad to a ballet family, Grigorovich’s career – as a dancer, then choreographer – spanned 80 years. He was for three decades the lead choreographer at Moscow’s famed Bolshoi Theatre and its artistic powerhouse, running it with an iron fist, it was said. “Yuri Grigorovich, one of the key figures in the world of ballet in the second half of the 20th century, has died,” the Bolshoi... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3310970/yuri-grigorovich-patriarch-russian-ballet-whose-career-spanned-8-decades-dies-aged-98?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3310970/yuri-grigorovich-patriarch-russian-ballet-whose-career-spanned-8-decades-dies-aged-98?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 14:42:36 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai The Bolshoi Ballet’s appearance in Shenzhen was part of the company’s third tour to China in as many years – Beijing in 2023, Shanghai in 2024 and this year Beijing and Shenzhen. After a hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, this was a golden opportunity to see the new generation of dancers who have been making waves in Moscow since 2020. A glittering line-up that included no fewer than 10 principal dancers plus numerous soloists produced outstanding dancing, confirming that the Bolshoi remains... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3310640/bolshoi-ballet-put-stunning-show-shenzhen-china-featuring-surfeit-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3310640/bolshoi-ballet-put-stunning-show-shenzhen-china-featuring-surfeit-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 May 2025 10:15:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ballet is beautiful. Ballet is ethereal. Ballet is mysterious. Can ballet also be cool? The creators of the new Amazon Prime Video show Étoile – Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel fame – are betting yes. The show is split between New York and Paris as it tracks the story of two ballet companies joining forces to attract audiences and stay afloat. And “afloat” is a good word to describe the chief appeal of the show: real lifts, not to mention turns and leaps,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3308695/how-prime-video-ballet-drama-etoile-keeps-it-real-mixing-ballerinas-and-dancing-actors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3308695/how-prime-video-ballet-drama-etoile-keeps-it-real-mixing-ballerinas-and-dancing-actors?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 May 2025 11:15:08 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung It’s la vie en rose as Le French May returns this month. Established in 1993, the 32nd edition of this annual celebration of all things Gallic continues its long-standing tradition of visual arts, music, dance, theatre and gastronomy, in its mission to better connect Hong Kong with France. Performing arts have always formed the core of Le French May’s programme, and chief among this year’s line-up is Giselle, a new production by the Hong Kong Ballet that reinterprets the timeless romantic... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3308812/what-does-hong-kongs-french-may-arts-festival-have-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3308812/what-does-hong-kongs-french-may-arts-festival-have-store?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2025 10:15:13 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen The Bolshoi Ballet dance company is performing in Shenzhen on May 14 and 15, the only stop in southern China as part of a tour that also include dates in Beijing. Founded in 1776 as part of the Bolshoi Theatre opera house in Moscow, Russia, the Bolshoi Ballet is one of the oldest and most prestigious ballet companies in the world. Its international activities have been severely limited since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Many countries have imposed de facto bans on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3308372/bolshoi-ballets-china-tour-visit-shenzhen-and-beijing-not-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3308372/bolshoi-ballets-china-tour-visit-shenzhen-and-beijing-not-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:16:58 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai Hong Kong Ballet’s latest production, Frida, explores the life and art of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The full-length work by choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa was developed from a one-act ballet, Broken Wings, which she created for the English National Ballet in 2019, and the retitled two-act version for the Dutch National Ballet followed in 2020. Frida is not a narrative ballet as such. Instead, Lopez Ochoa offers a series of snapshots of key moments from Kahlo’s life, interspersed with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3305486/hong-kong-ballets-frida-visually-powerful-production-if-lacking-clarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3305486/hong-kong-ballets-frida-visually-powerful-production-if-lacking-clarity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Apr 2025 09:15:07 +0000 If you are in Hong Kong this long weekend, then there are a few things you might want to check out, including an Oscar-winning animated film, a full-length ballet on Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and a craft beer event. 1. Flow When director Gints Zilbalodis accepted his Oscar win for best animated feature last month for his ethereal animated film Flow, he thanked his parents and his “cats and dogs” – fitting, given that the charming cartoon follows a feline and other animals as they survive a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3305208/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-april-5-7-film-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3305208/5-best-things-do-hong-kong-weekend-april-5-7-film-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Apr 2025 09:15:08 +0000 See this Frida Conceived by Colombian-Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, this balletic biopic of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo makes its Asian debut on April 4 with the Hong Kong Ballet. Premiered in 2020, the production explores themes of artistic subjectivity and female liberation within a surreal and colourful world of Mexican culture, with performances that blur the line between dance and painting in a swirl of skeletons, Mexican skirts and animals. Lyric Theatre, The Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3304282/your-perfect-week-what-do-hong-kong-march-30-april-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3304282/your-perfect-week-what-do-hong-kong-march-30-april-5?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Natasha Rogai Natasha Rogai More than 30 years after his untimely death in 1993, Rudolf Nureyev’s name has lost none of its magic. Nureyev & Friends – A Ballet Gala Tribute revisits a project Nureyev himself created in which a group of dancers would tour with a programme of short pieces, presenting top-notch ballet around the world. The repertoire consisted of works drawn from Nureyev’s career. It ranged from the familiar, with some of ballet’s most famous pas de deux, to lesser-known pieces and featured some of Nureyev’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3303591/mariinsky-ballets-maria-khoreva-dazzles-rudolf-nureyev-tribute-hong-kong-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3303591/mariinsky-ballets-maria-khoreva-dazzles-rudolf-nureyev-tribute-hong-kong-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2025 08:45:07 +0000 Rehearsing Swan Lake a few weeks ago in a sweaty studio, trying to iron out some last-minute kinks, ballet dancer Unity Phelan stopped just before launching into the famed 32 fouettés – those crowd-pleasing whiplash turns on one leg performed by Odile, the devious Black Swan. “No fouettés today – save them for tonight,” directed Kathleen Tracey, Phelan’s coach at New York City Ballet (NYCB). Dancer and coach agreed: preserving Phelan’s precious leg muscles took priority over rehearsing the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3303160/why-swan-lakes-odette-odile-role-so-punishing-and-how-3-ballet-dancers-took-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3303160/why-swan-lakes-odette-odile-role-so-punishing-and-how-3-ballet-dancers-took-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Mar 2025 08:15:07 +0000 It all started with a music box. When Mary Chan was a young girl, she was enthralled with a delicate ballerina figurine atop it that would twirl to the tune every time the box was wound. “I loved that toy and would spin it all day, admiring the little doll,” says Chan, who, in 2024, finally got the chance to fulfil a childhood dream – to learn ballet herself. Chan, who turns 80 this year, was among several retirees and other adults aged 55 and over who signed up for the Hong Kong Ballet’s newest... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3302180/inside-hong-kong-ballets-new-programme-seniors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3302180/inside-hong-kong-ballets-new-programme-seniors?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Mar 2025 22:15:08 +0000 Timothée Chalamet brought his mum as his date to the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards this year – and the mother-son duo got to share a very special moment as he enjoyed yet another milestone in his career. On Sunday, Chalamet bagged the best actor prize for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in the film, A Complete Unknown. At 29 years old, he is officially the youngest person to win best actor at the SAG Awards, notes Variety. View this post on Instagram A post... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3300237/meet-timothee-chalamets-multitalented-mum-nicole-flender-who-just-joined-him-sag-awards-former?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3300237/meet-timothee-chalamets-multitalented-mum-nicole-flender-who-just-joined-him-sag-awards-former?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:00:21 +0000 Two US lawmakers, including the chairman of a hawkish congressional committee, are raising concerns about the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts’ decision to host the National Ballet of China, accusing the dance company of being a tool of China’s “political machinery”. They are urging the cultural institution to reconsider its ties with the Chinese ballet company. Representatives Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, and John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296875/us-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-chinese-national-ballet-performance-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3296875/us-lawmakers-raise-concerns-about-chinese-national-ballet-performance-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 05:25:18 +0000 Any time there’s a new biopic out in Hollywood – especially when it’s about a beloved figure – fans’ expectations are understandably sky-high. But when the person being immortalised on film comes out to praise the actor playing them, the debate’s settled for good. Recently, Nobel-winning singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who is the subject of the Timothée Chalamet-fronted biopic A Complete Unknown, penned an appreciation post for the lead actor on his X account. “Timmy’s a brilliant actor so I’m sure... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3291473/meet-monica-barbaro-aka-timothee-chalamets-love-interest-bob-dylan-biopic-complete-unknown-actress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3291473/meet-monica-barbaro-aka-timothee-chalamets-love-interest-bob-dylan-biopic-complete-unknown-actress?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2024 22:00:08 +0000 In Chief Executive John Lee’s policy address earlier this month, he issued the clarion call for Hong Kong to become an international hub for “high-calibre talent”. We believe one set of critical talent are those related to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre. This seems clear from Lee’s policy address. Nevertheless, his speech did not specify exactly which type of high-calibre talent Hong Kong needs to cultivate. Take for example the government’s effort to attract family... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3284647/hong-kong-must-give-high-calibre-talent-reason-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3284647/hong-kong-must-give-high-calibre-talent-reason-come?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2024 03:30:07 +0000 A simple silhouette that evokes timeless elegance and confident femininity, Ferragamo’s Ballerina collection has been a versatile wardrobe staple since it was first conceived 70 years ago. Stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood like Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo, as well as dancers Anna Pavlova, Katherine Dunham and Alicia Markova, were among those who loved the shoe and had Ballerinas made especially for them. To celebrate the beloved shoe’s 70th anniversary, Ferragamo is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3283641/style-edit-ferragamo-celebrates-70-years-its-ballet-flat-ballerina-month-featuring-events-honouring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/fashion-news/article/3283641/style-edit-ferragamo-celebrates-70-years-its-ballet-flat-ballerina-month-featuring-events-honouring?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2024 02:00:08 +0000 The Butterfly Lovers is the first full-length ballet co-created by Ricky Hu Songwei, Hong Kong Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence. This was a major step for Hu and the company, and the work lived up to it. Full of emotional power, with brilliant choreography which blends classical ballet with Chinese dance to striking effect, an outstanding score, ingenious designs and moving performances, The Butterfly Lovers looks set to be a signature ballet which could help propel the Hong Kong troupe onto... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3283241/hong-kong-ballets-butterfly-lovers-review-brilliant-choreography?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3283241/hong-kong-ballets-butterfly-lovers-review-brilliant-choreography?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2024 09:15:07 +0000 There are two festivals you may want to check out this weekend in Hong Kong, plus three hang-out ideas. 1. Hong Kong Asian Film Festival This year’s Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (HKAFF) promises to be one of the most ambitious yet. Beyond showcasing many of 2024’s most highly anticipated titles from across the region, as well as a number of acclaimed hits from the global festival circuit, this year’s programme shines a spotlights on New Kazakh Cinema, has a sidebar examining how Palestinian... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3282890/5-best-things-do-weekend-hong-kong-october-18-20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3282890/5-best-things-do-weekend-hong-kong-october-18-20?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2024 07:15:07 +0000 Performing arts shows are in full swing this week with the first staging of the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX), while there is also classical music, ballet and a concert with a jazz legend to look forward to. Here are our top five performance picks for this weekend (October 18-20). 1. The Hong Kong Joy of Music Festival 2024 Now in its 19th edition, The Hong Kong Joy of Music Festival is back with its much-loved abundance of concerts and masterclasses that have brought a great many... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3282706/5-must-see-performances-hong-kong-weekend-october-18-20-dance-jazz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3282706/5-must-see-performances-hong-kong-weekend-october-18-20-dance-jazz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2024 07:15:07 +0000 Headlining Hong Kong Ballet’s current season is The Butterfly Lovers, a vivid reimagining of an age-old Chinese folk tale, which will have its world premiere on Friday, 18 October. Choreographed by Hong Kong Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence, Ricky Hu Songwei, and his wife, Mai Jingwen, this show brings to life the tragic romance of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. In this epic Chinese legend, Zhu disguises herself as a boy to escape her family compound and pursue an education at a prestigious... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3282565/hong-kong-ballet-celebrating-its-45th-anniversary-star-powered-take-chinese-folk-tale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3282565/hong-kong-ballet-celebrating-its-45th-anniversary-star-powered-take-chinese-folk-tale?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Oct 2024 22:15:06 +0000 Tim Yip Kam-tim is a Renaissance man. He is best known as a designer of costumes and sets for both screen and stage, but he is also a painter, photographer, fashion designer and writer. His numerous awards include a best art direction Oscar and a best costume design BAFTA for Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the film that put Chinese martial arts epics on the international map and helped Yip become one of the world’s most sought-after art directors. The Post sat down with him at the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3280939/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-art-director-tim-yip-his-new-hong-kong-ballet-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3280939/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-art-director-tim-yip-his-new-hong-kong-ballet-project?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Oct 2024 05:15:08 +0000 Hong Kong Ballet’s most recent production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, in 2021, provided a new spin on the famous ballet, with its fantastical story that takes place in a child’s imagination, infusing it with local cultural elements, from lion dancers to jockeys to mahjong. Fashion designer Mountain Yam, founder of the label 112 mountainyam, explains how it changed his life. I wasn’t a big fan of ballet but I’ve become one. Last year, we had a collaboration with Hong Kong Ballet – we... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3277801/tchaikovskys-nutcracker-still-has-power-change-lives-what-fashion-designer-learned-hong-kong-ballets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3277801/tchaikovskys-nutcracker-still-has-power-change-lives-what-fashion-designer-learned-hong-kong-ballets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2024 03:15:15 +0000 Kylie Knott,Enid Tsui Kylie Knott,Enid Tsui The promotional material for Hong Kong’s latest cultural event, HKPAX, certainly makes it sound like it has the X factor. “We specifically believe that ‘Xplore’ [Explore], ‘Xperience’ [Experience], ‘Xpress’ [Express], ‘Xhibit’ [Exhibit], ‘Xchange’ [Exchange] are the HKPAX’s key attributes,” it reads. Read on to find out more about the event. What Xactly is HKPAX? HKPAX stands for Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, the government’s latest initiative to promote the city as a hub for international... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3277474/what-hkpax-hong-kong-mega-cultural-event-performing-arts-acts-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3277474/what-hkpax-hong-kong-mega-cultural-event-performing-arts-acts-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2024 04:45:08 +0000 Hong Kong Ballet launched its 2024/25 season with The Wizard of Oz, choreographed by the company’s artistic director, Septime Webre. A family-oriented extravaganza, it has all the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from Webre – a big, bold show with spectacular designs and theatrical effects, a huge cast (albeit the same dancers in different roles), and lots and lots of dancing. While from a ballet perspective the production has flaws, it hits its target as family entertainment and received a warm... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3276841/hong-kong-ballets-wizard-oz-has-great-dancing-and-effects-falls-short-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3276841/hong-kong-ballets-wizard-oz-has-great-dancing-and-effects-falls-short-story?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:15:08 +0000 “A sensitive artist with a beautiful technique and an innate sense of storytelling … I’d like to announce the newest principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada: Miss Tirion Law.” This announcement on June 9, 2024, by the ballet’s artistic director Hope Muir, was made on stage after Law’s debut as Kitri in Don Quixote. It came as a complete surprise to the Hong Kong-born dancer. “My brain was empty and I didn’t really know what to do,” the 28-year-old recalls during an interview while on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3275943/hong-kong-ballet-star-tirion-laws-rise-principal-dancer-national-ballet-canada?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3275943/hong-kong-ballet-star-tirion-laws-rise-principal-dancer-national-ballet-canada?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 23:15:08 +0000 The tale of Dorothy and her friends in The Wizard of Oz occupies a special place in Septime Webre’s childhood memories. When he was 12, he and his siblings developed an extravagant puppet theatre show about Dorothy’s adventure with the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and their encounter with the Wicked Witch of the West. They took the show on the road, performing in nursing homes, schools and churches across South Texas, where the family were living. The choreographer, whose ballet... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3274860/artistic-director-hong-kong-ballet-over-top-characters-his-wizard-oz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3274860/artistic-director-hong-kong-ballet-over-top-characters-his-wizard-oz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2024 09:15:08 +0000 Hong Kong Arts Festival organisers have revealed highlights of the programme for its 2025 edition, including musical, theatrical, and dance performances. 1. Festival Opening: Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna Currently closed for renovation, the 261-year-old Italian opera house is closely associated with the composer Gioacchino Rossini. Its orchestra, under the baton of Donata Renzetti, will launch the 2025 festival with an exuberant programme of music by Rossini and Mendelssohn. Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3274353/hong-kong-arts-festival-2025-include-geisha-wuthering-heights-musical-bizets-carmen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3274353/hong-kong-arts-festival-2025-include-geisha-wuthering-heights-musical-bizets-carmen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2024 11:49:00 +0000 By all counts, the buzzy new brand on the block, Alainpaul, is a classic Hong Kong success story: the brainchild of a Hong Kong-born designer with international roots, ambitious dreams and a global footprint. Now, the brand has finally come full circle, making its long-awaited debut in the city at Hong Kong-based retailer Joyce. “We came here 10 years ago with this idea already,” says designer and co-founder Alain, who keeps his last name under wraps. He shows me a picture from that fateful... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3265594/hong-kong-born-designer-alain-his-brand-alainpauls-debut-joyce-co-founder-talks-dance-bending-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3265594/hong-kong-born-designer-alain-his-brand-alainpauls-debut-joyce-co-founder-talks-dance-bending-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jun 2024 06:00:15 +0000 The ballet Romeo and Juliet (composed in 1935 and first performed in 1938), one of the seminal works of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, sets Shakespeare’s story of doomed lovers from opposing clans to a modern soundtrack that includes every emotion from romance to drama to humour. Julie Liu, founder and designer at Hong Kong-based contemporary qipao brand Qipology, tells Richard Lord how it changed her life. I learned ballet for 14 years, from when I was four to when I went to university.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3265287/romeo-and-juliet-changed-her-life-qipao-designer-ballet-dreams-her-qipology-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3265287/romeo-and-juliet-changed-her-life-qipao-designer-ballet-dreams-her-qipology-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2024 23:15:09 +0000 Hong Kong Ballet’s new Swan Lake was lifted on the first night by a magnificent performance from Ye Feifei as Odette/Odile, partnered superbly by guest artist Matthew Ball of The Royal Ballet. With their classical dancing and fine acting, the pair showed why Swan Lake has stood the test of time. Whether the ballet’s enduring appeal was brought out by the rest of the production is another question. Hong Kong Ballet’s aim in staging a new Swan Lake was to offer a fresh perspective on the 19th... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3265164/stunning-swan-lake-lead-dancers-cant-hide-flaws-new-hong-kong-ballet-production?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3265164/stunning-swan-lake-lead-dancers-cant-hide-flaws-new-hong-kong-ballet-production?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2024 08:22:08 +0000 After months of media speculation about Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied’s marriage being in trouble, the pair have officially called it quits. According to People, Portman quietly filed for divorce eight months ago, and the process was finalised last month in France. The exes have always been very private about their relationship and family life. In February, when asked by Vanity Fair what she thought about all the incessant chatter around her marriage, Portman said: “It’s terrible, and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3255298/who-benjamin-millepied-natalie-portmans-ex-husband-and-did-he-really-cheat-her-oscar-winning-actress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3255298/who-benjamin-millepied-natalie-portmans-ex-husband-and-did-he-really-cheat-her-oscar-winning-actress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 11:00:12 +0000 The way ballet dancers gracefully twirl and spin to music is designed to look effortless, but it takes a lot of sweat and hard work. Dancers are under constant pressure to perform well, and the ballet world is one that is rife with clichés. One of those clichés is that all dancers are thin because they are anorexic – which Maria Baranova, prima ballerina of the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, Germany, says is untrue. Being thin is more a consequence of training, she says. Ballet is a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3255173/artists-or-athletes-ballet-dancers-are-both-insiders-why-dance-high-performance-sport-anorexic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3255173/artists-or-athletes-ballet-dancers-are-both-insiders-why-dance-high-performance-sport-anorexic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 08:15:12 +0000 David McAllister is often bombarded with questions about ballet. As a former principal dancer with The Australian Ballet, and its longest-serving artistic director – he retired at the end of 2020 after 20 years at the helm – McAllister is a respected voice on the topic. While some questions have been borderline rude – “It’s lovely that you’re a dancer, but what do you do for a living?” – many have been on the more, well, salacious side: “Do you get aroused during performances?”, “What does a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3252984/do-you-get-aroused-retired-ballet-dancer-david-mcallister-aims-demystify-his-profession-and-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3252984/do-you-get-aroused-retired-ballet-dancer-david-mcallister-aims-demystify-his-profession-and-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Feb 2024 20:15:11 +0000 As the Russian musical Anna Karenina is set to be staged in Shanghai and Beijing this month, theatre director Alina Chevik hopes to see how it can connect the two peoples at a time when Russian artists have been shunned in Western markets. The musical is one of several recently presented by Russian artists in China as the number of visiting Russian companies rises amid boycotts and sanctions in the West following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year. This year, the two countries have also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246189/while-china-russia-economic-and-diplomatic-ties-advance-their-cultural-bond-flourishes-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246189/while-china-russia-economic-and-diplomatic-ties-advance-their-cultural-bond-flourishes-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Dec 2023 04:08:02 +0000 Mick Jagger definitely isn’t your typical 80-year-old. In between lounging on lavish yachts and releasing new music, the Rolling Stones rock legend also manages to find time for his love life with long-time girlfriend Melanie Hamrick. Earlier this week, the couple was spotted enjoying a date night at the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala in New York. Hamrick, who’s 44 years Jagger’s junior, is a ballerina and shares six-year-old son Deveraux with the musician. Here’s everything you need to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3239669/who-mick-jaggers-36-year-old-former-ballerina-girlfriend-melanie-hamrick-she-just-attended-king?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3239669/who-mick-jaggers-36-year-old-former-ballerina-girlfriend-melanie-hamrick-she-just-attended-king?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 13:00:22 +0000 “I was in the shower when it came to me.” Ricky Hu Songwei, choreographer-in-residence of Hong Kong Ballet, is explaining how he found the inspiration for his award-winning 2022 work The Last Song. The 37 year-old says he’d been wanting to do a piece set to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, but hadn’t found the right theme. Then, mid-ablution, Oscar Wilde’s story The Nightingale and the Rose popped into his head. A parable of romantic love, it’s about a bird that uses its last song to produce... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3239371/i-wanted-create-something-hong-kong-ballet-choreographer-ricky-hu-why-he-switched-dancing-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3239371/i-wanted-create-something-hong-kong-ballet-choreographer-ricky-hu-why-he-switched-dancing-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 09:15:12 +0000 The US national ballet company will return to the stage in China next month for the first time in a decade, in the latest push for cultural exchanges between the two countries amid their continuing tensions. Led by artistic director Susan Jaffe, the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) will perform in Beijing and Shanghai in early November, when they will present audiences with a full production of Giselle, perhaps the most beloved early romantic ballet in the world. The ABT is also the first major US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236306/american-ballet-theatre-excited-about-return-china-november?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236306/american-ballet-theatre-excited-about-return-china-november?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2023 04:00:08 +0000