Turning Hong Kong into a Dance World

Lau Siu-ming

Lau Siu-ming is a familiar name to Hong Kong people. However, his role as a pioneer in Hong Kong dance before he became an active figure in the city’s pop culture is unknown to most. He studied in France, and co-choreographed and performed in La Robe de plumes (Rebirth of the Phoenix) with renowned American ballet dancer Rosella Hightower. Later he joined Maurice Béjart’s Ballet du XXe siècle, where he encountered brilliant dancers from around the world. After returning to Hong Kong, he created his first ballet theatre Love for the Sea, and founded the Hong Kong Experimental Ballet Theatre. Besides his work on the stage, he worked as a choreographer at Rediffusion Television. He is also a co-founder of the Hong Kong Ballet Group and the Hong Kong Dance Federation. Now in his 80s, he is still active in the performing arts scene, and he is Artistic Advisor to the Hong Kong Dance Company. In 2016, he took part in the Hong Kong Arts Festival commission Danz Up. He received the Distinguished Achievement Award at the Hong Kong Dance Awards 2017. Lau was the first Hong Kong dancer to perform a lead role in an international production. In this interview, he talked about the remarkable experiences he had during his study in France in detail for the first time, and the different facets of dance development in Hong Kong that he witnessed after his return.

Date of interview: 28 December 2016
Location: CCDC Dance Centre
Recorded and noted by: Lam Heyee
Translated by Nicolette Wong