Performance

Chinese Culture Festival 2024 Henderson Land presents 𝙁𝙪𝙣 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 – 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝟮.𝟬

The Enchanting Return of a Family Dance Drama

Chinese Culture Festival 2024
Henderson Land presents 𝙁𝙪𝙣 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 – 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝟮.𝟬 

With singing, dancing and much more!

“Throw away what you don’t need any more!” Mum says, urging Ashley to pack up her stuff because they are moving house soon. Peeking out from under her bed is a group of long-forgotten friends – Uncle Rice and Mini Rice, Hiking Shoe, Red Packet, the Sewing Kit twins, Goosie, and Fishbowl Pavilion – who pretend to be lifeless objects when Ashley and her mother are around. They always have fun singing and dancing while Ashley is away, but now they are worried. They don’t want to be thrown away like rubbish! Just then, Big Beard, a supersized calligraphy brush who reels off Chinese poems every now and then, pops up and reminisces about times they spent with Ashley when she was little.

So who is Big Beard? Is Ashley going to desert her old friends? Will she remember any of them? 

Highly anticipated for the 2023/24 season is Hong Kong Dance Company’s Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems 2.0, presented by Henderson Land, which will be staged at the “Chinese Culture Festival 2024”. The show will run for two consecutive weeks, from 9 to 11 August at the Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre and from 16 to 18 August at Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall. Following the production’s successful debut in 2018, guest artist Xie Yin returns to collaborate with choreographers Cai Fei and Ke Zhiyong and a talented ensemble, bringing back Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems 2.0 after a six-year hiatus. This festive fusion performed by close to 300 students of HKDance Children’s and Youth Troupes is made possible through the support of Anthony Ho as guest performer and other professional dancers from Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDance). Following his debut as Big Beard in this family-friendly poetic dance theatre, Ho reprises the role, inviting children of all ages to embark on this enchanting, poetic dance adventure together.

Discover treasures of classical Chinese literature in this extravaganza of dance, drama, poetry, and music! Through this fun and joyful interactive stage experience for kids of all ages, HKDance aspires to promote Chinese dance, literature, and the traditional virtues prized in Chinese culture. The story begins with our young protagonist, Ashley, sorting through items under her bed before moving house. Suddenly, to Ashley’s surprise, Big Beard descends from above, regaling us with little stories about Ashley and her belongings, inspired by classical Chinese literature. Seamlessly integrating poetry with dance theatre, this production invites the audience to experience the essence of traditional Chinese literature. 

Big Beard invites all children to participate in the “Big Beard! Sing & Dance Competition” and “Big Beard! Chinese Speech Competition”. Children are encouraged to express their creativity by performing their own dances and interpretations and have fun while gaining a deeper appreciation of poetry. Outstanding young poets will also have the chance to showcase their talents during the Programme Promotion of Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems 2.0.

This programme is suitable for audiences aged 3 and above, and we welcome families to come along and enjoy song, dance, and poetry recitals together. The special packages “Chinese Culture Festival 2024 Group Booking and Package booking” and “Big Beard Family Package” offer discounts of up to 25% and 17% respectively. Big Beard invites you to join this wonderful journey this summer!

Performance Information for Hong Kong Cultural Centre's sessions

Venue

Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Session

9–10.8.2024 (Fri–Sat) 7:45pm
10–11.8.2024 (Sat–Sun) 3:00pm

Price

$440 $340 $240 $140 $80

Performance Information for Sha Tin Town Hall's sessions

Venue

Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall

Session

16–17.8.2024 (Fri–Sat) 7:45pm
17–18.8.2024 (Sat–Sun) 3:00pm

Price

$360 $260 $160 $100

Other Performance Information

Duration

Programme duration is about 1 hour and 30 minutes with an intermission.

Discount Scheme

● ”Chinese Culture Festival 2024 Group Booking and Package Booking“: Enjoy up to 25% discount
● “Big Beard Family Package”: Enjoy up to 17% discount
● 50% off for full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities and their attendants and CSSA recipients (limited quota)
● Members of Friends of Hong Kong Dance Company: Prestige can enjoy 20% off and Classic Members can enjoy 10% off
● For details of other discounts, please refer to HKDance website

Ticketing

Tickets now available at URBTIX and DAMAI

Age Limit

Suitable for ages 3 and above

Programme Enquiries

3103 1888 / www.hkdance.com

Programme Plus

Programme Plus of 𝙁𝙪𝙣 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 – 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝟮.𝟬 

1. “Big Beard! Sing & Dance Competition”

For the singing contest, participants will sing while creating their own movements/dance to the song “Pity the Farmer” by the famous composer Yin Ng.

Age groups

3 - 6

Application deadline

20.7.2024 (Sat)

2. “Big Beard! Chinese Speech Competition”

For the Chinese speech contest, participants will recite the famous poem “Shui diao ge tou” by the renowned Song dynasty literary figure Su Shi.

Age groups

7 - 10

Application deadline

20.7.2024 (Sat)

3. Programme Exhibition of Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems 2.0

Date

15.7–1.8.2024

Venue

E2, Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

4. Performance Excerpts from Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems 2.0

Date and Time

20.7.2024 (Sat) 3:15pm–4:15pm

Venue

Foyer, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

5. Programme Promotion of Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems 2.0

Date and Time

27.7.2024 (Sat) 2:30pm–3:30pm

Venue

Plaza, Sha Tin Town Hall

Event details

Awardees’ performance and award ceremony of “Big Beard! Sing & Dance Competition and “Big Beard! Chinese Speech Competition”

Artistic Team

Artistic Director

Yang Yuntao

Concept/Choreographer/Artistic Coordinator

Xie Yin

Choreographers/Artistic Coordinators

Cai Fei, Ke Zhiyong

Choreographers

Chen Rong, He Chaoya, He Yongning, Hu Xiaoou, Lee Hoi-tung, Tsang Ka-yee,Wu Kam-ming

Music Director/Composer

Yin Ng

Set and Costume Designer (Premiere)

Charfi Hung

Costume Designer and Deputy Set Designer

Cheryl Ching

Lighting Designer

Anfy Shum

Sound Designer

Wan San-hong

Theatre Instructor

Jessie Yeung

Guest Performer

Anthony Ho

Performers

Hong Kong Dance Company, HKDance Children’s & Youth Troupes

Artists’ Biographies

構思_編舞_藝術統籌:謝茵
Concept/Choreographer/Artistic Coordinator

Xie Yin

Xie Yin joined Hong Kong Dance Company in 2002 as Principal Dancer and was promoted to Assistant Artistic Director in 2021.

Xie won the 8th and 11th Hong Kong Dance Awards for her co-choreographic works in 2006 and 2009. She was invited by The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts to create And the Thunder Sings, and choreographed Lotus for the Hong Kong Ballet. She has been artistic coordinator and choreographer of several HKDance productions. In 2020, she performed the principal role in the musical A Tale of the Southern Sky and was a researcher with Ho Bit Goon in As Flower, as Water, as Mother. In 2023, Xie participated in Theatrical Meditation Production’s Ashtanga, a production by Tsang Man-tung.

Xie is now a freelance artist.

編舞_藝術統籌:蔡飛
Choreographer/Artistic Coordinator

Cai Fei

From 2001 to 2007, Cai Fei worked at Guangdong Dance School as a full-time instructor of Basic Chinese Dance Techniques and rehearsal classes. During her teaching period, Cai was awarded the school’s Outstanding Teacher Award and Outstanding Class Mistress Award. She furthered her studies at the Beijing Academy of Dance, majoring in ballet.

Cai joined Hong Kong Dance Company in 2008. Her major performances include Qingming Riverside, Mulan, Angels Fall, and Snow Fox. She is currently Artistic Coordinator of the Hong Kong Dance Company Children’s & Youth Troupes responsible for teaching, choreography, editing of basic training teaching materials, and administration.

Between 2008 and 2021, Cai served as an Artistic Coordinator and Choreographer for Childhood Wonderland, The Happy Prince, Dim Sum Adventures@Lung Fung Teahouse, and Magical Adventures of Baby Polar Bear and the 12 Zodiac Animals. In addition to planning dance training camps she has also organised and led groups on cultural exchanges and dance competitions in Taiwan, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Qingdao.

編舞_藝術統籌:柯志勇 1
Choreographer/Artistic Coordinator

Ke Zhiyong

A graduate of the Guangdong Dance Academy’s Chinese Dance Performance and Education Department, Ke Zhiyong was a silver medallist in the 1996 Guangdong Province Dance Competition. He has won multiple accolades at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition: recognition of excellence in the Youth (B) category (1994); gold medal in the Youth (A) category (1997) and third prize at the Young Adult category (2000). He was also  a recipient of the 2005 Hong Kong Dance Award.

A member of Hong Kong Dance Company since 2001, Ke was promoted to Senior Dancer in 2007. Two years later, he enrolled at the Beijing Dance Academy, receiving a professional certificate in Chinese classical dance pedagogy. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as guest instructor in the Chinese Dance division of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He is currently Training Instructor with Hong Kong Dance Company. Ke has performed in more than forty dance dramas, mainly in lead roles, and has been assistant choreographer for numerous dance dramas. He was also co-choreographer of Joseph Koo’s Classic Melodies and the children’s dance dramas Childhood Wonderland, Magical Adventures of Baby Polar Bear and the 12 Zodiac Animals, and Saturday Whispers, and artistic coordinator of Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Poems, and Dancing World – The Story of a Blissful Tribe.

特邀演出 (飾鬍鬚爺爺):何遠東
Guest Performer

Anthony Ho

Anthony Ho is a graduate from The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. During his studies, he was awarded the Fredric Mao Scholarship and Disney Scholarship among others. He also received Best Actor Awards for his performances in two dramas: Journey to the West and Tartuffe. After graduating, he started working in television and has appeared in many TV series, including Brother’s Keeper, Mind Hunter, and The Exorcist’s Meter. He was awarded Best Supporting Actor in 2017. He also frequently performs on stage. Among his recent performances are Magical Adventures of Baby Polar Bear and The 12 Zodiac Animals by Hong Kong Dance Company, The Legend of Hua Tuo by Take it Easy Theatre, Musical I’mPerfect by Theatre Noir Foundation, and Musicals My Daddy Long Legs by Theatre Noir. In 2014, he was nominated for Best Actor Award (Comedy/Farce) at the 23rd Hong Kong Drama Awards for his performance in The Legend of Hua Tuo.

Anthony is active in promoting drama education and has taught drama at art centres, drama troupes, and schools. He has sat on the Adjudicator Panel for Hong Kong School Drama Festival since 2008.

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Media Materials

For using all images and videos, please credit at caption: 
Chinese Culture Festival 2024 Henderson Land presents 𝙁𝙪𝙣 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 – 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝟮.𝟬, 2024. Courtesy of Hong Kong Dance Company.