Programme Overview
Epic and tragic A Love Story Set in Hong Kong in 1960s
Shakespeare's classic Romeo + Juliet is reimagined in 1960s Hong Kong. Juliet, the daughter of a Shanghai tycoon, falls for Romeo, the only son of her father's arch rival, while her parents pressure her to marry a wealthy foreigner. The crushing weight of family power collides with the free will of love. Through spirited dancing, sumptuous cheongsams and a twist filled plot, the production reveals a vivid the cultural interplay of East and West. Prokofiev's score, paired with fierce kung fu street fights, heightens the tension, and Septime Webre's choreography makes this a powerful masterpiece.
Romeo + Juliet was in high demand on tour in New York and North Carolina in 2023, garnering enthusiastic acclaim from both audiences and critics. This summer, join the brilliant Hong Kong Ballet dancers as they embark on an exciting tour to Chengdu!
Supported by
A programme of the 2026 Chengdu International Dance Festival
Arts Group Introduction
Hong Kong Ballet (HKB)
Founded in 1979, HKB is a world-class institution that represents Hong Kong's unique character and currently has 50 dancers from all over the globe – Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, and other parts of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Their footprint extends to 70 cities through more than 50 world tours. HKB performs works by its Artistic Director Septime Webre and some of today's most sought-after choreographers, including Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, Justin Peck, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, as well as innovative new works by its Choreographer-in-Residence, Hu Song Wei Ricky, and numerous emerging Hong Kong choreographers.
Additionally, HKB maintains the Hong Kong Academy of Ballet, a professionally-oriented ballet school, as well as a full schedule of award-winning community programmes and crossover collaborations throughout Hong Kong to ensure that ballet is accessible to all.
Hong Kong Ballet is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Cast & Key Artistic Personnel
Choreographer: Septime Webre
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Costume Design: Mandy Tam
Set Design: Ricky Chan
Assistant Set Designer: Ryan Lo
Lighting Design: Ruby Yau
Original Lighting Design and Lighting Consultant: Billy Chan
Dramaturge: Yan Pat-to
Make-up Design: M•A•C Cosmetics
Martial Arts Advisor: Hing Chao
Martial Arts Partner: International Guoshu Association
Artistic Director: Septime Webre
Septime Webre is an internationally recognised ballet director, choreographer, educator and advocate. He holds a degree in History/Pre-Law from the University of Texas at Austin. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as its Artistic Director in July 2017 after 17 years as Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet in Washington DC, US. Previously he served as Artistic Director of the American Repertory Ballet, based in Princeton, New Jersey, US for six years. In Hong Kong, Webre recently staged a pair of new productions for HKB: a Romeo + Juliet set in the early 1960's Hong Kong, and The Nutcracker set in Hong Kong in the early 20th century. In addition, he has staged a number of productions for HKB, including new productions of Giselle, ALICE (in wonderland), Sam and Her Amazing Book of Dinosaurs, The Great Gatsby, The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella and Peter Pan.
As a dancer, Webre was featured in solo and principal roles from the classical repertoire as well as in contemporary works by choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor and Merce Cunningham. He has served on the juries of a number of international ballet competitions, including those in Varna, Bulgaria, Istanbul, Cape Town, New York, Seoul, and elsewhere. He has served on the board of Dance/USA and his work has received numerous honors, grants and awards.
Fringe Activity
Romeo + Juliet Post-performance Talk
Date and Time: 2026.9.12 (Sat) 17:00
Venue: Grand Theatre, CDHT CPAA Grand Theatre
Duration: Approx. 30 minutes
Speakers: Septime Webre, Artistic Director & Choreographer and Dancer
Language: English (with Putonghua interpretation)
Admission: Free admission (for ticket holders of Romeo + Juliet only)
