Folk Dance Medley "Lands in the South"
HONG KONG DANCE COMPANY
Open 2024 with Folk Dance Medley "Lands in the South"
A tribute to the dance legacy of Southern China
Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) will open 2024 with the folk dance medley Lands in the South. Together with several guest choreographers, the Company will present Lingnan dances that are rooted in the daily lives and hometown sentiments of various ethnic groups. Members of HKDC Children’s and Youth Troupes will also perform a tea-picking dance full of childlike delight and the rhythmic dance of the Yao drums, interpreting the people’s customs and traditions and inspiring their artistic legacy through dance. The folk dance medley Lands in the South will be presented in four performances from 1 to 3 March 2024 at the Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium.
Lingnan culture centres around agricultural and marine culture: from the rice paddies of the Hakka people and the floating culture of the Tanka people, to items of National Intangible Cultural Heritage such as Yao embroidery, and the Guangdong lion dance and herbal tea (liangcha). These cultural symbols carrying historical imprints are integrated with stage projection to bring alive the personalities and social landscapes of Lingnan culture, highlighting the long history of Chinese culture.
HKDC is honoured to invite Ms Ding Ran, associate professor of Guangdong Dance and Drama College and a national first-class choreographer, to bring us three award-winning dance works conveying the distinctive essence of ethnic life: Yao Embroidery, showing the love and warmth of three generations passing down the Yao scallop embroidery technique; Guangdong Herbal Tea, bitter to drink yet sweet to remember, representing the culinary culture of the Lingnan region and embodying familial love; and Voices of the Mashi Brick Road, in which the clogs stepping on the Mashi Brick Road echo the life moments and joys of Guangzhou people in the olden days, expressing nostalgia for the gradually disappearing Mashi Brick Road and causing us to reflect on our own lives.
Ms Lu Yumei is a national second grade choreographer and director specializing in Lingnan cultural themes. Her works The Scent of Rice Straw, Sparkle in the Rain, and Fishing Song under the Moonlight highlight the unique culture of the Lingnan region, born from the coexistence of the various ethnic groups with the natural environment. The folk dance medley Lands in the South, bringing together several unique chapters illustrating the diversity of Lingnan culture, is the perfect occasion to celebrate and enjoy the Chinese New Year with friends and family.
Programme Plus
Programme Plus of Folk Dance Medley "Lands in the South"
Content
A public preview of several amazing excerpts from Lands in the South, The Legend of Lanling, and Fun Ride with Big Beard – Dancing Peoms 2.0
Date & Time
20 Jan 2024 (Sat) 3:00PM - 4:30PM
Venue
Plaza, Sha Tin Town Hall
Guest Host
Mr Anthony Ho
Date
24 Jan – 8 Feb 2024
Venue
Foyer, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Date & Time
26 Jan 2024 (Fri) 7:45PM-9:15PM
27 Jan 2024 (Sat) 3:00PM-4:30PM
Tutor
Ms Ding Ran
National first-class choreographer
Associate professor of Guangdong Dance and Drama College
Fee
For those who purchase tickets of Lands in the South at any price tier on or by 20 Jan 2024 are eligible to participate in the masterclass free. Limited seats available on a first-come first-served basis.
Venue
Hong Kong Dance Company
Meet-The-Artist session
Date & Time
1 Mar 2024 (Fri)
(To be held after the evening performance. For valid ticket holders of this performance session only)
Venue
Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
Pre-performance talk
Date & Time
2 Mar 2024 (Sat) (To be held before the matinee performance )
Venue
Foyer, Sha Tin Town Hall
Profile of Guest Choreographers
Ms. Ding Ran
Ding Ran graduated from Beijing Dance Academy, majoring in Chinese dance performance and choreography. She is an associate professor of Guangdong Dance and Drama College, a national first-class choreographer, and a council member of the Guangdong Provincial Dancers Association.
In 2018, she directed the China Dancers Association project “Deeper into Life, Rooted in the People”. She has choreographed more than forty works, including Voices of the Mashi Brick Road, which has won awards including the Guangdong Lu Xun Literature and Art Award (Art Category), the Gold Prize for Creativity and the Gardener Prize in the Taoli Cup Dance Competition, the Top Ten Choreographers of the China Dance Lotus Prize, the Silver Prize for Creativity in the National Dance Competition, and the Gold Prize in the Lingnan Dance Competition. In 2021, she participated in the creation of the large-scale ballet drama Flag by Guangzhou Ballet Troupe, which won the Outstanding Repertory Award at the 13th National Dance Exhibition and the Dance Drama Award in the 13th China Dance Lotus Awards.
Ms. Lu Yumei
Lu Yumei graduated from Beijing Dance Academy, majoring in Chinese dance choreography. Currently a national second grade choreographer, she worked at Guangdong Dance School as a teacher of folk dance and choreographer from 1999 to 2017.
Her works have won various awards, including several golds in the Lingnan Dance Competition, the Gardener Prize in the Taoli Cup Dance Competition, the Gold Medal in the National Qunxing Award, and the Guangdong Lu Xun Literature and Art Award. Her major works The Scent of Rice Straw and Balang Drum and Sparkle in the Rain won first and second prize, respectively, and the Best of the Show Award in the Taoli Cup Dance Competition.
In 2018, she founded Meige Dancing Space in New York City, dedicated to the inheritance of Chinese dance art. Under her leadership her students have won the Best Organisation Award and the Original Choreography Award at the Taoli World Dance Competition. She participates annually in the National Youth and Children’s Dance Competitions in the United States and has won the first three places in each category, as well as the Best Creation Award.
Venue
Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
Session
1-2.3.2024 (Fri - Sat) 7:45pm
2-3^-3.2024 (Sat -Sun) 3:00pm
Price
$300, $200, $140, $80
Package
Save more with our Family Combo and Buddy Package. Only applicable to the same performance in the $300 zone.
Ticketing
Tickets Now available at URBTIX and Damai
Duration
Programme duration is about 70 minutes without intermission
Age Limit
^ The 3 March show is a family-friendly performance suitable for ages 3 and above. Suitable for ages 6 and above on 1-2 March performances
Programme Enquiries
3103 1888 / www.hkdance.com
Artistic Director
Yang Yuntao
Artistic Coordinator & Choreographer
Xie Yin
Choreographers
Ding Ran、Lu Yumei、Ke Zhiyong、Cai Fei、Lee Hoi-tung
Set Designer
Angelica Fung
Costume Designer
Mable Wun
Lighting Designer
Zoe Cheung
Video Designer
Moon Cheung
Music Director and Sound Designer
TaiShun Tse
Performers
Hong Kong Dance Company
HKDC Children’s and Youth Troupes
Media Materials
For using all images and videos, please credit at caption:
Folk Dance Medley "Lands in the South", 2024. Courtesy of Hong Kong Dance Company.