A Lover’s Concerto

the artists

Sep 13, 2020 – Oct 18, 2020

Choo Tee Kuang and Loke Soh Kim

“In 28 years, our long black hair will turn white, and will eventually fall out! Also, the two of us will become somebody’s parents! In the middle of our humdrum lives, there will be passion and romance; sometimes we will fight in jest. There will be times when our minds are in sync and times where we fully depend upon each other! We should carry on the dance until we get older and older!”

Choo Tee Kuang graduated from Institut Teknologi Jaya* in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1983. He began his dancer career in 1987 with Singapore People’s Association Dance Company. Later, he joined Singapore Dance Theatre, Hong Kong Dance Company and CCDC, working with various renowned choreographers including Willy Tsao, Helen Lai, Jacky Yu and John Mead in Hong Kong. He established Dancenap Production with his wife, Loke Soh Kim, in Kuala Lumpur in 1993, and is currently its Company Director. His choreographic work, Butterfly Lovers, won Best Group Performance at the 4th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2005.

Loke Soh Kim graduated from Institut Teknologi Jaya*, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1984. She worked for Singapore People’s Association Dance Company from 1987 to 1989 and CCDC from 1990 to 1992. She established Dancenap Production with her husband, Choo Tee Kuang, in the Malaysian capital in 1993. She is currently its Company Director. In 1997, she attended the International Artists Programme run by Northwest Asian American Theatre in Seattle. The same year, she studied contemporary dance and choreography on a five-month residency in New York, funded by an Asian Cultural Council (ACC) grant. In 1998, thanks to another sponsorship by ACC, she attended the American Dance Festival in Durham, US. Her choreographic work, BODY in Body Area received Best Choreographer in a Mixed Bill at the 15th BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2018.

*Now renamed Kolej ITJ.

Bobo LAI and Terry TSANG

“Quarrelling helps us progress, If we never quarrel, it means we are just staying in our comfort zone, and we will never know our own limits. It’s a sign that we are gaining knowledge when we learn how to communicate with each other and maintain our connection through love even when we are arguing.”

After graduating from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2008, Bobo Lai joined the Guangdong Modern Dance Company (GMDC) as a fulltime dancer after working a year as a freelance dancer. Her early performances at GMDC including works by renowned choreographers, such as Liu Qi’s Upon Calligraphy and Sang Jijia’s Sticks. She also showcased her own works One Plus One Ant and X -85213 at GMDC. She joined CCDC in 2015.

Shirley LOK and Bruce WONG

“Conflicts always occur in relationships. Both sides gain a better understanding of each other during the conflict and will keep clashing in the future. The dance does not lead towards a destination, there is no determined next step. We believe that staying with each other is continuing on this path of life.”

Born in Shanghai, Shirley Lok graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2009 majoring in Ballet. During her studies she was awarded several scholarships. She has performed widely in Hong Kong and toured with various professional dance companies including The Hong Kong Ballet. In 2007 she joined CCDC’s youth dance ensemble WuDaoQinNian, when her interest in modern dance was sprouted. She joined CCDC in 2010.

Born in Hong Kong, Bruce Wong entered The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (APA) in 1995, where he was awarded several scholarships and chosen to represent the academy on overseas tours during his study. In 1998, he was awarded an Asian Cultural Council fellowship to participate in the American Dance Festival in the U.S. Wong Joined CCDC as a dancer upon graduating in modern dance from the APA in 2000. In 2009 he left CCDC to further his studies and received a Jockey Club Scholarship to attend Hollins University in the U.S. for a Master’s degree. Most recently, he was selected as one of the few finalists in dance worldwide for the prestigious Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative. His recent choreography includes The Legend and The Hero and Dress Me Down in Strip Teaser 2012.

Goh Boon Ann and Wu Yi-san

“It is very difficult for a husband and wife to choreograph together because it is hard to detach ourselves from all the troubles of our daily lives; it’s very taxing emotionally. We all get older, there’s no escaping it, and aging is also the essence of life. Perhaps the idea that we both want to convey in this work and to present it truthfully is that we have to calmly accept this reality. We tried really hard to show the audience that it’s still important to be “brave” even as we grow older.

Goh Boon Ann was born in Malaysia and is currently Assistant Professor at the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts., He has danced for Hong Kong Dance Company, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and CCDC. He is also a founding member of the South “ASLI” Dance Workshop. In 2001, Goh received an Advanced Certificate in Theatre Lighting Design from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has been Production Manager and Lighting Designer for South “ASLI” Dance Workshop, E-Side Dance Company, Unlock Dancing Plaza, Daniel Yeung and Yeung Wai-mei. He has designed for As If To Nothing, Tales of Two Cities – Hong Kong．Shanghai．Eileen Chang, Six Degrees, Off Screen, Plaza X (2011 Rerun) and Talk To Him at CCDC. His lighting design for Six Degrees received a Hong Kong Dance Award in 2011.

Wu Yi-san graduated from The National Institute of the Arts* in Taiwan and joined Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in 1994. She worked for CCDC from 1996 to 2006, and was a member of South “ASLI” Dance Workshop from 1996 to 2001. In 2000, she received a Hong Kong Dance Award for her performance in Helen Lai’s Summer Solstice. In 2003 and 2006, she was listed in the Hong Kong Dance Hall of Fame. In 2006, she received The Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund to study at London Contemporary Dance School in the UK. She performed for Random Dance Company and Akram Khan Dance Company and worked with Protein Dance in 2004. In 2007 and 2008, she choreographed Phoenix and Phoenix III – Read the World with Your Heart with Yap Poo Meng with Unlock Dancing Plaza for the Community Cultural Ambassador Scheme. Phoenix III received a Hong Kong Dance Award in 2009. Wu got her MFA at HKAPA in 2009. She is now Associate Professor at the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts.

*The Institute is now called Taipei National University of the Arts

LUO Fan and CHANG Lan-yun

“This is our 10th  year together. It’s great timing for us to make a video. We wanted to start from our own experiences and search for those things we both find important. We believe that in order to maintain such a long-term relationship, “breathing” is of utmost importance. “Breathing” implies the existence of space. How will we feel if we don’t give each other any space?”

LUO Fan is currently a permanent artist at GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, Sweden. He has worked with numerous internationally-renowned choreographers as well as Zero Visibility Corp Dance Company in Norway during his career with the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani. He danced with City Contemporary Dance Company from 2003 to 2012 and graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in modern dance in 2003.
As a choreographer, Luo has been invited to present his works at Royal Swedish Ballet School, City Contemporary Dance Company, E-Side Dance Company in Hong Kong, MeimageDance in Taiwan, Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan University of Arts, City Contemporary Dance Festival, Guangdong Modern Dance Festival and Beijing Dance Festival.
He was awarded “First place in the Modern Dance section with the distinction of Excellence” at International Dance Competition – Hellas in 2007 and the Hong Kong Dance Award for “Outstanding Performance” in 2009. He received a full scholarship from the Asian Cultural Council (Hong Kong) and participated in the American Dance Festival in 2005.

CHANG Lan-yun is from Taiwan and graduated with an MFA in choreography from  Taipei National University of the Arts’ School of Dance. She has previously worked with CCDC (2009-2012) and danced with Hong Kong Dance Art Dance Theater, Taipei Crossover Dance Company and Kaohsiung City Ballet Company. She designed the video and character image for Mr. Judge and has photographed for Brren. In 2013 and 2014, she was invited to participate in MeimageDance’s New Choreographer Project in Taiwan. As a dancer and choreographer, she has been invited to perform in different dance festivals including City Contemporary Dance Festival, Guangdong Dance Festival and Beijing Dance Festival.

Love and Dance?

Expressing love is similar to dancing
Many basic steps must be learned
You go one step forward; I go one step back
The dance will not be perfect if either of us dances wrong

When I control the movements and direction of my partner
I also allow my partner to control me
Even though we face the same direction, we both have our own light

The dance may be lively, intense or romantic
It also has a unique prelude, twist, repetition and climax
Its own ups and downs
Only when our steps match
Can we both leap higher, further and longer

Programme Partner

Promotional Partner

Media Partner