The Dream of the Red Chamber by Hong Kong Ballet

Many of you might not know, but I used to work part-time at The Hong Kong Ballet as a project coordinator.

It was my first ‘real’ job when I came to live in Hong Kong, and it certainly helped me grow from being a student to a working professional.

I used to take ballet classes occasionally when I was little, but it was so much hard work and pretty painful too! Becoming a ballerina was never a dream of mine, yet I envy those who have the tolerance and courage to chase their dream and make a career of this beautiful, all-consuming profession.

During my time at The Hong Kong Ballet, we put on various stunning performances. The Nutcracker at Christmas time was always popular, and finding out would play the White Swan and Black Swan in Swan Lake always gained the public’s interest too. Nonetheless, if you asked me which was my favourite show, I would say ‘Firecracker‘. Why? Because ‘Firecracker’ is an original ballet from Hong Kong, containing some of Hong Kong’s most memorable moments depicted on stage.

Being a ‘fusion’ girl myself, it always excites me to see things where East meets West. ‘Firecracker‘ is a ‘fusion’ ballet performance, with an Eastern storyline that’s danced in a Western way.

The Hong Kong Ballet’s latest production, The Dream of the Red Chamber, is also a grand classical mix of the two worlds, and my expectations were high.

It’s no joke trying to turn one of China’s four greatest classical novels into a ballet. From the staging, to picking the right cast and orchestra, to designing the costumes and adapting the story, the pressure is on!

I was holding my breath when the curtain lifted – and from that moment on, it was all pure amazingness!

The staging, music, costumes, cast… everything was immaculate. I was blown away and had goosebumps while watching it – literally!

I first got to know the story of The Dream of the Red Chamber from watching the TV drama version; later on, I read the original novel in Chinese and saw numerous other performances (like modern dances and operas) based on story. However, the ballet version is something quite different entirely; you will know what I mean if you go watch it yourself!

In my next blog post, I will share my interviews with the fashion designer Flora Zeta Cheong Leen, who added her own spin on the show’s costumes for the Hong Kong audience, and Wang Xin Peng, the Artistic Director of Ballett Dortmund who choreographed this epic production.