Artistic Exposure - The Golden Lotus

First Published in Hong Kong Fashion Geek on 4 April 2011.

Arts and culture guest blogger hkCultureGeek, Gillian Chu, is a Hong Kong raised Canadian who enjoys exploring the secret cultural spots around town. You can contact her at hkCultureGeek@hkFashionGeek.com.

Jasmine, Audrey and I went to the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (HKAPA) on a Saturday afternoon to watch a 2011 Hong Kong Arts Festival Programme - the Golden Lotus. None of us knew anything about modern ballet, but there were promises of nudity and explicit sexual scenes, so it looked interesting enough for a try.

We got to the HKAPA promptly on the day. HKAPA brings back lots of memories, not only because we have been there for dramas and concerts, but also because their short courses covers a wide range of areas, so I have attended quite a few, from piano lessons to belly dancing.

The dance was choreographed by Wang Yuan-yuan, an internationally acclaimed ballet choreographer, and was performed by the Beijing Dance Theater, the first Chinese dance company to fuse ballet with modern dance. It was not surprising to see that the podium was filled with Mandarin and English speakers. Their memorabilia was very attractive, so Jasmine and I were rather tempted in getting our hands on it.

The dance was based on a traditional Chinese lust story, Jing Ping Mei. The synopsis read "they fornicated freely" and "in lustful orgies", which was much in line with the movie adaptation directed by Li Han-hsiang. The set and props were stunning, and there were abundant amount of imageries, so after every scene, we had to rush back to the synopsis to see what it actually meant.

Although 2011 Hong Kong Arts Festival has ended, there will be sporadic events in September 2011, so stay tuned to their website for more details.