A superb mixed bill with exciting guest appearances including Paris Opera Ballet dancers - Alice Renavand (Étoile) and Florian Magnenet (Principal Dancer); Edwaard Liang (Artistic Director of BalletMet); and The Hong Kong Ballet’s Guest Principal Dancers, Tan Yuan Yuan (Principal Dancer of San Francisco Ballet) and Jurgita Dronina (Principal Dancer of Dutch National Ballet). Programme highlights include the Grand Pas Classique from Marius Petipa’s world renowned Paquita; the world première of Bolero, choreographed by The Hong Kong Ballet’s Yuh Egami and Ricky Hu; and Hong Kong’s première of Alexei Ratmansky’s charming and fun one-act ballet Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals).

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Paquita Choreography: Marius Petipa / Music: Ludwig Minkus / Costume Design: Harvy Santos / Original Lighting Design: Wayne Wong / Re-Lighting: Alice Kwong Kicking off the programme will be the Grand Pas Classique from Marius Petipa’s elegant classical ballet Paquita. Petipa is often cited as ‘the father of classical ballet’ and his Paquita is the first ballet he staged for the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Grand Pas Classique is richly adorned with numerous solos for the ballerinas while offering audiences a presentation rich in classical ballet history. Guest Appearance: Jurgita Dronina

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Bolero (World Première) Choreography: Yuh Egami & Ricky Hu / Music: Maurice Ravel / Set Design: Siu Wai Man / Costume Design: Bridget Steis / Props: Aya Mok / Lighting Design: Alice Kwong Revealing the end at the beginning, Bolero then unveils the chain of events that give rise to the ending. The Hong Kong Ballet’s dancers, and most talented choreographers, Yuh Egami and Ricky Hu chose theatrical technique to deliver a story of the inner demons of the lead female dancer who personifies the struggle that is all too often caused by the pressures of today’s world. Entering the blurred, almost non-existent space between light and shadow, between stability and instability, this is a deep and insightful piece. Set to Maurice Ravel’s famous orchestral piece of the same name, the brilliance of Bolero lies not only in the structure of the choreography and the music, but also in the masterful costume and set designs, all of which engage the emotions and force us to reflect on modern society and how it serves as a catalyst for anguish and despair in so many.

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Abandon, a Pas de Deux from Le Parc Choreography: Angelin Preljocaj / Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Costume Design: Hervé Pierre Le Parc, choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj for Paris Opera Ballet in 1994, is a fresh and beautiful masterpiece. It explores the many facets of love in 17th and 18th century French literature, namely La Carte du Tendre (The Map of Passion) and L'Amour Vrai (The True Love). Guest Appearances: Alice Renavand, Florian Magnenet

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New work Letting Go (World Première) Choreography: Edwaard Liang Music: Max Richter The story is about a woman's journey in her attempt to move on from a loved one. It is the idea or feeling that would be invoked by a tale of a dead lover that won't let go of life and his love. Guest Appearances: Edwaard Liang, Tan Yuan Yuan

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Le Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of the Animals) (Hong Kong Première) Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky / Assistant to the Choreographer: Betsy Erickson /Music: Camille Saint-Saëns / Set and Costume Design: Sandra Woodall / Original Lighting Design: Kevin Connaughton / Re-lighting: Alice Kwong Hong Kong’s première of this charming and fun one-act ballet by internationally acclaimed choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, Le Carnaval des Animaux brings a whimsical menagerie of animals to life. Enjoy as the dancers enact animals including elephants, jellyfish and lions while combining these movements with an impressive classical ballet technique.