A mix of cultures, genres and taste levels always excite me as an audience member. I actually have a fascination for very ethnic or folkloric pieces being transformed into ballets. I'm not quite sure about other countries but I have seen very few translations of culturally bound literary pieces. There is definitely an abundance of short choreography but full lengths are rare. To me, this is understandable since the challenge of staying true to cultural and literary truths while leaving a definite impression is big. Hong Kong ballet definitely embarked on an ambitious project with Dream of the Red Chamber.
Dream of the Red Chamber is considered one of China's greatest novels with over a hundred characters and consequently numerous highlights. . Culture, political color, love and life,..... How do you all put it together in one ballet?
The curtains rose to reveal an almost 3d teleserye savvy looking flat stage with all the characters in a tableau. Slowly the stage and the panels came to life. The stage platforms moved forward ever so smoothly allowing the light to touch the faces of the central characters. It rotated until the platform disappeared and revealed the opening scene. Out came the characters we were to encounter. The story revolved around a mythical story about how a mythical stone enters the human realm and is embodied by the lead Jin played by Wei Wei. He is at the center of story. His political family requires that he marries a maiden named Baocha for the sake of stability. However he years for a maiden named Daiyu. Both ladies could not have been more different from each other. In the end he chooses Baocha which leads to his emotional grief and a collapse of his humanity. Daiyu dies in grief and leaves the earth with an undying legacy of sorrow for Jin . There's actually more to the story than that as the novel undoubtedly had shades of political opinion and history.
The two and half hour staging was as complex and loaded as I expected. I'm actually conflicted about how I feel about it all. There were moments when my mouth was hanging from the richness of the choreography, the color and aesthetics of the stage. However, there were unbearable moments where I just wanted to sleep and or literally walk out. The choreographer Wang XIn Peng beautifully interpreted Chinese culture highlights. Memorable to me was the girls' dance with the sleeves. I've seen this traditional dance before, but the choreographer took it to a whole other level of fascinating. it was visually a feast of off center movements. The slightest of the jumps made the sleeves create beautiful colorful shapes. The pas de trois of the three leads was stunning. The lifts and the transition of Jin from Daiyu to Baocha was exciting. Since, this pas de trois was done in the first act at this point, the audience really had no idea who Jin was going to pick. His chemistry with both provided a space for wonder. The pas de deux between Jin and Daiyu using the red scarf made me sit up and just watch the complexity of life happen on stage. I was drawn to the red scarf as if it was my life line. My eyes were moving back and forth with the red scarf as the two dancers pulled and pushed each other. I loved the drama of it all. The dances I mentioned were not just beautifully choreographed, they were framed to perfection by a set designed to impress. The set evolved from scene to scene as if it were turning the pages of a book. I have never seen a more artistically sensitive and emotionally connected (to the choreography) set than this. What I didn't like about this ballet was that it included so many scenes that took us away from the simple story of the love triangle. True, it was much about the cultural and political influences of that time that made the story unique. However, I hated the ten or so minutes of video presentation, it killed the momentum of the story. Furthermore I also almost died watching a super duper long fashion catwalk that I could not connect to the story. While I have no doubt that it is to a degree relevant, it was painfully boring. I appreciated that they brought the story forward and transported them to the modern times, ... and yes I did love the awesome cherry blossom scene, I couldn't understand why they had to incorporate in a very long long long scene ( it seemed long) of war.With all that in mind, ...... conflicted.
Wei Wei who played the main character was captivating. More than the technicality of his steps, it was the depth of his emotion that drew me in. I sympathized with him even if his character was weak and fickle minded. He partnered his ladies beautifully with able arms while maintaining a very strong connection to each of the women. The real meat of the story however was translated by its two ladies. Soloist Liu Yuyao who plays Daiyu , with her long legs and perfectly arched feet was picturesque with every step making a beautiful memory in my head. She is very much a lyrical dancer and is perfectly cast in the role. She did look the part, fragile but unconventionally beautiful. Principal dancer Wu Fei Fei played the role of Baocha, the sensible,conservative option for our lead. I must say, she was every bit a Principal Dancer. Though I loved all the leads, she will have to be my favorite. She has a very strong command of the stage. It seemed that everybody else kind of blurred away every time she started dancing. Her preciseness was commendable. Though she was the "other woman", half the time it made sense to me to pick her over Daiyu. Her extensions were swift yet elegant. Her grand jetes, seemed to float effortlessly across the floor. The thing I like most about her was that she had the flare, her movements seemed to me like a stylish Michael Cinco gown. She was effervescent, ultimately impalpable.
In the end balletomane that I was, I didn't regret flying to Hong Kong to see this ballet. I appreciated the Hong Kong dancers much much more. Though I am not resident in Hong Kong, I feel almost connected to them as a fan. I enjoyed the fusion of chinese elements and history to the western art form. Even with my dissatisfaction over the entire Act 3, I see vision and a high amount of art in this play. Kudos to Hong Kong Ballet for embarking on such a risque journey. Kudos for leaving if anything a very definite imprint of China in the hearts of the audience. Thank you for a taste of Asian drama.
On a personal note, I loved seeing Manila's very own Candice Adea dance on the Grand Theatre of the Hong Kong Cultural Center. She was the cutest Asian girl ever to appear on that stage armed with her potent stage presence. My heart fills with pride. Also, I loved the appearance of a certain Frank Van Tongeren who played several bit roles. He was energetic and magnetic. He reminds me of American Ballet Theatre's Marcelo Gomes.
