SCRIPT: Ballet in the City [May 4, 2020]
- This week's video is about a local dance company taking ballet to the city's streets
- If you need extra help with this week's exercise, you can read the script
[1] Septime Webre: We wanted to develop a statement about Hong Kong Ballet being of the city and remind people what a beautiful city they live in. So we had this amazing time breaking out of the theatre walls and out of our studio and really placing dance in everyday life in Hong Kong, and having a little fun with it along the way.
[2] Septime Webre: I’m the artistic director of Hong Kong Ballet. Ballet originated in Europe, but in fact it’s a language. It’s just like Cantonese or Mandarin or English. This video is really about fusion, about the celebration of Hong Kong as a beautiful place, about these beautiful colours in the housing estates, and schools and public buildings, and really reminding people from Hong Kong what a beautiful city this is.
[3] Septime Webre: We spend so much time on our smartphone, and we just have to put it down for a second, look up and look around and see beauty everywhere. That’s one of the points of this video.
[4] Septime Webre: Hong Kong is steeped in ballet culture and dance culture. When they see images of our dancers cavorting in a basketball court, or having a little fun on the Star Ferry, they see us in a context where they see themselves every day. And there’s that kind of personal connection. Art is most powerful when people can themselves in the art. If the curtain goes up and somehow people can relate to what they see on stage, it’s just more impactful.
[5] Septime Webre: Hong Kong is a very different place than it was 40 years ago in 1979. But it’s also the same place. The DNA hasn’t changed. It’s always been a vibrant city of energetic creative people in different fields, creating something very special.
[6] Septime Webre: The city functions very well, because Hong Kong people are very efficient. Hong Kong is the most creative and forward-looking of the major Asian ballet companies, and we’re real leaders not just presenting classical ballets like Swan Lake and Giselle and The Nutcracker, but also exploring new territory and developing new works that reflect the city. And our goal? Nothing short of world domination.