Join the ‘City Contemporary Dance Festival 2023’ this November, Featuring 18 Local and East Asian Choreographies and Exchange Activities
(Hong Kong, 12 Oct 2023) Presented by City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC), the ‘City Contemporary Dance Festival’ (‘CCDF 2023’), will present a series of captivating dance performances and cultural exchange activities in November, treating local and overseas audiences and artistic peers to an unparalleled sensory feast, while exploring the new frontiers of contemporary dance.
Tickets are now available at CCDC, CCDF websites and URBTIX, with limited ‘Festival Passes’ also available to purchase exclusively from CCDC and CCDF websites, as a one-stop ticket for access to the full festival programmes.
Initiated in 2017 by CCDC, the biennial ‘CCDF’ aims to promote local contemporary dance on the world stage and leverage Hong Kong’s influence as an artistic and cultural exchange hub between the East and West. This year, the ‘CCDF’ features the Opening Performance Stream of Dust, ‘HOTPOT East Asia Dance Platform’, and a host of other presentations, seminars, and exchange activities. In collaboration with Festival Partner West Kowloon Cultural District, curators and artists from around the world have been invited to join this international dance festival to foster closer and more enduring partnerships among the dance community.
Opening Performance Stream of Dust: The Latest Masterpiece by Award-winning Choreographer Sang Jijia, Offering a One-of-a-kind Viewer Experience
Following his roaring success last year with his acclaimed and award-winning multidisciplinary immersive dance theatre Meeting In-between Time, CCDC Resident Choreographer Sang Jijia will be opening ‘CCDF 2023’ with the large-scale contemporary dance production Stream of Dust. He will be leading a troupe of over 40 dancers from CCDC as well as graduating students of School of Dance, HKAPA, along with multitalented artist Alex Cheung. Other creators of this epic production include composer Dickson Dee, dramaturg Janice Poon, and scenographer Leo Cheung, among others.
In Stream of Dust, the audience is guided by light and dust in moving freely within the spectating and stage areas. Through meticulously designed performance space and effects, they are invited to observe shifts in the dancers’ movements and each of their body language, sensing the physical power unleashed by contemporary dance.
With a bold innovative spirit, Sang Jijia constantly challenges the stereotypes of the theatrical relationship between audience and the performer. In his Mr Blank in 2018, viewers were able to watch every movement of the dancers from the top as if through a camera; while in 2022, performers of Meeting In-between Time led their audience to explore the revitalised historic site on foot, uncovering greater possibilities of the theatrical space. In this production, another thoughtfully curated, one-of-a-kind experience awaits the audience, who is in for a wonderful surprise.
Stream of Dust is co-presented by West Kowloon Cultural District, in collaboration with HKAPA.
‘HOTPOT East Asia Dance Platform’: An Eclectic Showcase of Asian Dance by Top Talents From Hong Kong, Greater China, Japan, and Korea
‘CCDF 2023’ also gathers dance talents from China, Japan and Korea to put on a three-day marathon of ‘HOTPOT East Asia Dance Platform’ in Freespace of the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Sheung Wan Civic Centre. The ‘HOTPOT’ showcases the diversity of dance by featuring a total of 17 original works in 5 programmes. Launched in collaboration by ‘CCDF’, ‘Seoul International Dance Festival’ (Korea) and ‘Yokohama Dance Collection’ (Japan), the ‘HOTPOT’ is dedicated to nurturing and promoting dance artists in East Asia, as well as building networks within the region.
Hong Kong Focus 17.11.2023 (Fri) 4pm Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Hong Kong Focus presents four artists in each of their distinctive styles and creative, thought-provoking works. It introduces Hong Kong’s art scene to the overseas audience, while promoting outstanding local dance artists on the international stage. Choreographed and performed by Duncan Tung, 01 Waiting welcomes the audience to search for insight into this torturing era. Created by award-winning choreographer Tanki Wong, IT’S NOT MY BODY chapter 3.5 enables us to feel the power of dance through his unique sensibility that deepens the movement research. KT Yau, recipient of ‘Emerging Choreographer’ of the Hong Kong Dance Awards, brings in noBODY that responds to society with each individual in the group and reflects on one’s value of existence. Rosalie Ng Hei-wai’s Through THE LENS encourages the audience to search and reflect on their true selves through dance theatre.
Greater China I and Greater China II celebrate cultural exchange within Greater China, bringing together six groups of artists to channel their personal reflections, social commentary, and artistic sentiments through bodily storytelling.
Greater China I 18.11.2023 (Sat) 5pm Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Greater China I stages works by artists from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou. Former Senior Dance Artist Bobo Lai continues to develop her choreographic series in Boiling Bo, where she explores the movements possibilities and reflects on self-existence. Raised in Macau with a Filipino descent, Albert Garcia’s Let’s Leave This Place Roofless responds to social issues. Liu Qingyu, Resident Choreographer of Ergao Dance Production Group, delves into the transition process from personal experiences to creative elements in This is a Process.
Greater China II 19.11.2023 (Sun) 5pm Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Greater China II presents Director and Visual Designer Cici Chen’s work Little One that portrays the inner and outer conflicts of one’s survival by exploring the relationship between movements and projections. Creator Zhang Mei’s Why does the moon come out at night? blends contemporary dance and mythology of the ethnic group, the Hlai, Hainan, together to present a performance steeped in unique aesthetics. Choreographed and performed by the Director of White Dance Theatre Tai Chi-lun from Taiwan, Degenerate Evolution questions how people can define success with the same benchmark.
Korea 18.11.2023 (Sat) 8pm Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre
Discover performances by five groups of talents from Korea, spanning a wide range of themes, form self-identity, essence of dance, tradition and modernity, while displaying the diversity of contemporary dance in Korea through distinctive choreographic styles. Choreographed by Choi Soyoung, Byeol Yang is a minimalist duo performance that explores the relationship between the environment during the pandemic and the inertia of the human body. Shin Changho’s No Comment has been widely-toured, with its powerful ensemble serving as a metaphor for how truth is suppressed. Choreographer Cho Inho’s In My Own Name is imbued with Korean flavours, as an introspection on personal identity through a fusion of physical movement and traditional music. Quotation Dance challenges the positioning of a choreographer by extending her ‘Copyrights Series’ research. Hauntology, a piece by Art Project BORA’s Artistic Director Kim Bora, features nude dancers who return to the essence of dance in between reality and fantasy.
Japan 19.11.2023 (Sun) 8pm The Box, Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District
Two groups of talents from Japan will bring two distinguished performances steeped in own culture. In Da Dad Dada, Saori Hala takes part in the concept and performance as well as staged objects, music and video design. This self-documentary performance delves into the relationship with her absent father Ken Hara. Meanwhile, Ikumi Kurosu choreographs, directs and performs for ZOU made from fume, which presents the essence of emotions encountered in life while going back and forth between humans and smoke.
Exchange Activities: Envision Future Developments, Nurturing Cutting-edge Dance Works
‘Open Studio’ Series is a research presentation platform that enables artists to present and share their research outcomes on certain contemporary dance issues and delve into the ecosystems and latest trends of the field. The three sharing sessions are exclusive for ‘Festival Pass’ holders. The Series features nine awardees of CCDC’s ‘Fellowships for Contemporary Dance Creation and Research’, as well as dance artists in collaboration with the West Kowloon Cultural District to share their deliverables.
Responding to the growing importance of dance dramaturgy, CCDC collaborates with IATC (HK) to co-organise Dance Dramaturgy Roundtable and Talk, which invites artists, dramaturgs and producers to share their experiences and envision future developments. The two events aim to spark deeper conversations regarding the research trend behind dance performances.
Festival Details
| Date | 11-19.11.2023 | |
| Venues | The Box & The Room, Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District;
Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre; Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre |
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| Ticketing | Tickets are now available at CCDC, CCDF websites and URBTIX | |
| Opening Performance Stream of Dust | $300 Free standing, audiences are free to move around | |
| ‘HOTPOT East Asia Dance Platform’ | $240 | |
| ‘Open Studio’ Series | Exclusively for ‘Festival Pass’ holders | |
| Dance Dramaturgy Roundtable | ||
| Dance Dramaturgy Talk | Free admission (online registration from mid-October) | |
| Festival Pass | Exclusively available at CCDC and CCDF websites ($1,200) | |
| Book Now | CCDC and CCDF website: https://qrs.ly/izf87qp
URBTIX: https://qrs.ly/3of87qr |
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| Details | https://qrs.ly/b3f87qk | |
| Press Material | https://qrs.ly/njf8tux | |
Details of Opening Performance Stream of Dust
| Date & Time | 11, 14-17.11.2023 （8pm）；12.11.2023（3pm） |
| Venue | The Box, Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District |
| Details | https://qrs.ly/m2f87qv |
Creative Team
Choreography: Sang Jijia
Original Music: Dickson Dee
Dramaturgy: Janice POON*
Scenography: Leo CHEUNG
Rehearsal Mistresses: LI Yong-jing*, Shirley LOK
Lighting Design: Lawmanray
Sound Design: LEUNG Po-wing*
Costume Design: Charfi HUNG
Featured Performance: Alex CHEUNG*
Performance: AN Tzu-huan, Suyi HON, Felix KE, Natalie KO, Eric KWONG, Genie LOK, Nini WANG, Brian YAM, Skye YAO, Simpson YAU, Tally ZHUANG, Graduating Students of School of Dance, HKAPA
* With support and kind permission of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
This new music work is commissioned by City Contemporary Dance Co. Ltd in 2023 with sponsorship from CASH Music Fund.
Co-presenter of Stream of Dust & ‘CCDF 2023’ Festival Partner
‘HOTPOT’ Partners
Supporting Organisations
City Contemporary Dance Festival
‘City Contemporary Dance Festival’ (CCDF) is an iconic contemporary dance event in Hong Kong initiated by City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC). Through a series of performances, seminars and various artistic exchange activities, the CCDF connects top-notch contemporary dance artists from Hong Kong and abroad with local audiences, international curators and dance practitioners, as well as promoting the development of contemporary dance and building international networks.
About City Contemporary Dance Company
City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC), the flagship of contemporary dance in Hong Kong, undertakes to blaze the path of contemporary dance scene with extraordinary performances representing contemporary Hong Kong culture. Founded in 1979 and directed by Yuri Ng since 2021, CCDC has presented more than 200 original works by leading choreographers, and pioneered in Asia to reimagine the possibilities of contemporary dance through innovative collaborations. Representing Hong Kong in over 270 overseas performances at the world’s foremost dance stages and festivals, CCDC is regarded as ‘the artistic soul of contemporary Hong Kong’.
City Contemporary Dance Company is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Media Enquiry
| Stephanie Mak
Marketing and Development Manager Tel: 3170 9924 / 9430 2263 Fax: 2351 4199 Email: stephanie@ccdc.com.hk |
Thalia Wong
Assistant Marketing and Development Manager Tel: 3170 9988/ 6279 4928 Fax: 2351 4199 Email: thalia@ccdc.com.hk |