Hong Kong Ballet, in the last of Stephen Jefferies' five years as director (who may get another term), opened the season last month. Last weekend they did La Bayadere. Here is my review in "Hong Kong iMail" newspaper.<BR> <A HREF="http://www.hk-imail.com/iconnect/public/article_v.cfm?articleid=8172&intcatid=18" TARGET=_blank>http://www.hk-imail.com/iconnect/public/article_v.cfm?articleid=8172&intcatid=18</A>

Kevin, thanks for posting. I see you had a few problems with this performance.<P>Can I ask what the make-up of the Hong Kong Ballet is? Do they have a strong school like NYCB-SAB or do they tend to import dancers like SFB does?

HK Ballet doesn't have a school of its own, but takes some graduates every year from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Its 37 dancers are from various countries besides Hong Kong and China - Japan, Canada, South Africa, Australia etc.

Thanks, Kevin. Another silly question: Who funds the ballet and the school? The government?

Azlan, both the HK Ballet and the Academy (not related to HK Ballet) are partly funded by the HK governmment's Arts Development Council.

Grace, yes, it's TOO ambitious. Thanks for your understanding and interest in HK Ballet. I think however that the National Ballet of China is a far more interesting company in terms of repertory and dancers. Pity that it doesn't perform here that often.<P>By the way, there's a soloist in HK Ballet from the Australian Ballet School, Terasa Webster. She did the first shades solo well last weekend, and apparently will do Nikiya this weekend or next. I won't go again, I've seen her in other roles.<p>[This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited September 20, 2000).]