Grand Dance Poem A Dance of Celestial Rhythms

/ All Programme / Grand Dance Poem A Dance of Celestial Rhythms

Grand Dance Poem A Dance of Celestial Rhythms

by Hong Kong Dance Company

/ All Programme / Grand Dance Poem A Dance of Celestial Rhythms

Date & Time

2025.10.18 (Sat)
5pm

2025.10.19 (Sun)
3pm

Approx. 80 minutes
Without intermission

Venue

Yeak-dang Hall, National Gugak Center

Price

₩ 30,000 / 20,000 / 10,000

Ticketing

Tickets available at Interpark Global and National Gugak Center website from 8 August.

Programme
Overview
Arts Group
Introduction
Cast & Key Artistic
Personnel
Media Reviews
Fringe Activity

DANCE

In Timeless Communion with Nature, We Dance

The “24 Solar Terms” represents a harmonious temporal order deeply rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy, where “term” (jie) embodies humanity while “solar” (qi) symbolises nature. As the solar terms transition, nature awakens, painting the world in glorious seasonal hues.

Hong Kong Dance Company’s A Dance of Celestial Rhythms masterfully blends this ancient wisdom with contemporary dance, captivating the senses through stunning visuals and innovative lighting. This spectacular performance, enhanced by collaborations with renowned Korean artists in costume design, lighting, and musical composition, invites the audience to immerse themselves in these sensations as we journey through the eternal cycles of time. Debuted to great acclaim, the production garnered both “Outstanding Large Venue Production” and “Outstanding Ensemble Performance” at the 25th Hong Kong Dance Awards.

Co-presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the National Gugak Center

Tour sponsored by China Merchants Foundation

Post-performance Talk
Date: 19 October (Sun)
Venue: National Gugak Center
Speaker: Yang Yuntao (Artistic Director and Choreographer), Kim Chulhwan (Composer), Min Chunhong (Costume Designer), Ryou Backhee (Lighting Designer)
Admission: For audience of Grand Dance Poem A Dance of Celestial Rhythms only

Established in 1981, Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDance) is one of the major performing arts groups financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. HKDance is dedicated to promoting Chinese dance with contemporary artistic visions and Hong Kong character, staging over 200 productions to great acclaim. With its mandate to create original interdisciplinary works, the Company delves into confluence of Chinese dance and Chinese martial arts traditions, creating novel dance and martial arts theatre Convergence. In 2023, the excerpt Whispers of the Pines from Convergence was recognised in the 13th China Dance Lotus Awards (for Contemporary Dance), the most prestigious national dance awards in China.

Hong Kong Dance Company is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

https://www.hkdance.com/en

Yang Yuntao (Director and Choreographer)

Graduated from the Dance Faculty of Minzu University of China, Yang Yuntao is an accomplished dancer and choreographer. He joined Hong Kong Dance Company in 2002 as Principal Dancer and became the Company’s Assistant Artistic Director from 2007. He has been its Artistic Director since 2013. Yang has won Hong Kong Dance Awards in 2003 and 2006 for his outstanding dance performance, and the Best Artist (Dance) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2009. In 2023, Yang has been awarded the Medal of Honour by the Chief Executive of the Government of HKSAR in recognition of his contributions to the dance sector, years of devotion in creating and promoting Chinese dance and nurturing dance talents.

Kim Chul-hwan (Composer)

Kim Chul-hwan majored in composition and graduated from the School of Music at Chung-Ang University.

The major plays he composed music are A fairy in the wall, A spring in March, La vie devant soi, and A place with the pigs, A full load of fish, etc.

He composed numerous theatrical music mostly in collaboration with National Theater Company of Korea, Seoul Performing Arts Company, Jeongdong Theater Company, etc. He also composed dance music collaborating with many dance companies such Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theater, Daejeon Metropolitan Dance Theater, Jeju Metropolitan Dance Company, etc. Some of his major works are Crowd, Goong:The Palace, N.O.T. (Noone there?), etc.

His composition, The Immortal River won the music award at the 25th Seoul Dance Festival. He also won the music award at the 28th Seoul Dance Festival for Thousand-year-old Snow.

Min Chun-hong (Costume Designer)

The veteran costume designer, Min Chunhong, is well-known for his unique design which harmonizes the Korean traditions with a modern sense.

Min’s design works for domestic and international events and performances include: Celebration Event at the eve of Korea-Japan Match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup; HODONG, The Dinner of the Gods, My Dear, Nongae and The Red Shoe Shuttle Boy for National Dance Company of Korea; The Moon for Korean National Ballet; The Last Supper for Korean National Contemporary Dance Company; Elizabeth Keith, Serval, Bari and Durre for Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre; The Moon in Myth of The Dancing Durumi and A Dance of Celestial Rhythms for Hong Kong Dance Company; The Path, The Illusion for Singapore Dance Theater; Les Noces for Austria Linz State Dance Company; Pierrot Lunaire for Ballet Company of Oldenburg, Germany; Basic of Dance Part 1 and 2, Frozen River, Shining Light for Kim Maeja; Musicals 15’23”, Look Back into Love – Orpheo, Lost Face 1895, Soseono, Deep rooted Tree and Along with the God for The Seoul Performing Arts Company; Faust for Seoul Opera, etc.

Min won the Best Dance Costume Designer Award at the Dance Culture Forum, and the Stage Art Award at the 36th Seoul Dance Festival and The Korea Modern Dance Promotion Association. He is currently the Artistic Director of Min Chun Hong Costume and is a Lecturer at Chungnam National University.

Ryou Back-hee (Lighting Designer)

Ryou Back-hee was the project leader for lighting design for the Pyeongchang Paralympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies in 2018. With experience in lighting design for over 200 productions over 27 years, her work spans opera, changgeuk, theater, contemporary dance, traditional dance, and ballet. She was responsible for the lighting design of 1945 for the Korea National Opera, Gwito: The Eight Sufferings of the Rabbit for the National Changgeuk Company of Korea as part of the reopening celebration of the National Theatre of Korea’s Haeoreum Grand Theater, Ongnyeo in celebration of the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, and The Orphan of Zhao: Seeds of Revenge for the National Theatre of Korea at the Beijing National Theatre. Her lighting design for Bul-Ssang with the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company contributed to the production’s international tour, which included performances in Berlin, Malta, Florence, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Moscow.

Recently, she has expanded her work beyond Korean productions touring internationally to actively participate in global collaborative projects.

In November 2024, as part of the 10th Anniversary Special Programme of Korea Dance Abroad, Ryou Back-hee was in charge of lighting design for Struggle, a collaborative production between the European contemporary circus company Petri Dish and the Korean dance company JUBIN Company. Additionally, starting with the 2022 Hong Kong Theatre Month production Myth of the Dancing Durumi, she is also scheduled to work on the 2025 Hong Kong and Korea tour performances of A Dance of Celestial Rhythmsi. These projects go beyond simply presenting Korean works abroad and serve as crucial initiatives exploring new possibilities in stage art through multinational artistic collaborations.

Director and Choreographer: Yang Yuntao
Associate Choreographer: Xie Yin
Composer: Kim Chulhwan
Costume Designer: Min Chunhong
Lighting Designer: Ryou Backhee
Assistant Lighting Designer: Baek Harim
Set Designer: LCM
Digital Image Designer: Lin Jin-yao

Principal Dancers:
Ho Ho-fei
Hua Chi-yu
Huang Wenjie

Senior Dancers:
Lam Yin-yi
Lee Chia-ming
Tai Wing-chun
Tong Chi-man

Dancers:
Chen Xiaoling
Chou Jo-yun
He Yongning
Ho Gi-lam
Lai Hung-fu
Lai Wan-chi
Lam Wan-ho
Lee Chun-hin
Li Wen-yu
Liu Ya-lien
Mi Tao
Ng Ka-ling
Ng Yuen-man
Tai Chon-u
Tsai Po-hung
Tse Nga-ping
Wang Muning
Zhai Zhengtian
Zhan Qian
Zhou Yuan

Apprentices:
Chui Hei-lam
Lai Yan-yan^

^2024/25 The Arts Talents Internship Matching Programme is supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council

"From ancient times to the present, nature has been a source of choreographic inspiration for many dancers. The aesthetic struggle between its eternity and transience, reshaped through body and melody, becomes a poem co-composed by humans and gods. The Hong Kong Dance Company’s recent original large-scale dance poem, 'Twenty-Four Solar Terms,' interprets this beautifully."

──ARTMAP, "A Seasonal Ode to Finding Deities in Dance"

"Using a minimalist approach that combines the stage and costume colors with the dancers' movements, and enriched by a fragrant atmosphere, the stage and audience merge into one, jointly shaping a beautiful space that traverses ancient and modern times, embodying Eastern philosophy while also embracing abstract and contemporary meanings."

──Ta Kung Pao, "Blossoms and Stars Shift, Life Goes On"

"The final scene of 'Major Snow' leaves a deep impression, revealing the romance of the Korean composer and costume designer, rich in poetic essence, perfectly echoing the theme of the dance poem."

──ARTMAP Arts Map, "Twenty-Four Solar Terms"

HKW

Grand Dance Poem A Dance of Celestial Rhythms

by Hong Kong Dance Company