The City of K

Outdoor Dance Gala by Helen Lai; 7-8 March 2009; 2:30pm & 4:30pm; Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza; Free Admission

In the 37th Hong Kong Arts Festival, the City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) presents an outdoor dance performance showcasing excerpts of choreographer most memorable works which include “Plaza X,” “La Vie en Rose,” “The Comedy of K,” and “It’s So Easy to Fall in Love.”

I knew CCDC when I was studying in the secondary school. The Company is used to promoting dance education through school tour. Once I could afford to pay the ticket, I always enjoyed going to the theatre for their performance. After the light is dim, the audiences concentrate their attention on the stage. Following the movement of the dancer(s), my mind leads me to fly and dance in the air.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Company, CCDC offers her 2nd large-scale outdoor performance for free at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza since ten years ago. Unlike theatrical performance, the performers are closely associated with a changing environment. With Victoria Harbour as the background, the dancers perform their dances on the ground, not on the stage. Besides the classical music and favourite love songs, horns from boats supplement the background music. While some people are sitting on the stairs outside of the Cultural Centre, others are standing aside or just passing by the piazza. It forms an interesting scene that when the dancers are concentrating on their performance in the front, some new couples in wedding dress are taking photos happily along the promenade at the back. We have no surprise to hear the Wedding Match at the same time.

It is never easy to give an outdoor performance. Although the setting tends to be simple, the preparation work must be done seriously such as a good sweeping before each show to avoid sharp obstacles leaving on the ground. Hope no one to get hurt when dancing barefoot. The dancers should also possess professional skills in dealing with different / unexpected circumstances, in-and-out audiences of unknown background, and continuously photo-shooting during the show. The performance is further contingent on the weather. Although there is no rain during the show, hope those dancers who wear thin clothing not to get sick in these windy spring days.

Both dancing and dance appreciation afford us pleasure. Thank you CCDC for stepping into the crowd actively and letting more people share the joy of dancing.