What happens

• ....when Chinese martial arts meets Chinese dance and further intersects with contemporary movement inspired by Asian and Southeast Asian dance traditions?
• ....when dancers from two cities who are unable to meet in person finally converge virtually in a series of workshops, practices and reflections?

As part of a series of events in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Convergence: A Dialogue in Dance between Hong Kong and Singapore is a unique collaboration between the Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) and Singapore’s Maya Dance Theatre (MDT) that transcends epidemic-related travel restrictions.

This one-hour cross-city hybrid experience combining short film, virtual dialogue and live dance performance is inspired by HKDC’s innovative full-length dance production Convergence that was premiered online in Hong Kong at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Fusing Chinese martial arts with Chinese dance, Convergence is the resultant work from a three-year interdisciplinary study by HKDC dancers that aimed to gain new perspectives on movement through an immersive study of three styles of Guangdong Southern Chinese martial arts, namely Hung Kuen (洪拳) , Choy Lay Fut (蔡李佛), and Fujian White Crane (白鹤拳）. Convergence brings these discoveries together, capturing the transience between stillness and motion. We are excited to bring this enthralling work to dance lovers in Singapore. Click here to learn more about this three-year project and watch the process. Convergence has neither been staged ‘live’ nor seen outside of Hong Kong due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Watch the full livestream recording of the event here: https://www.facebook.com/hketosg/videos/3226367467624023/

For a condensed video capturing highlights of the event, please watch here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=440861061311364&ref=sharing

Please also visit the following four training videos produced by HKDC for this collaboration project:

Episode 1: General introduction to Boxing Techniques and Stances of Hung Kuen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeA_vQAJeOA

Episode 2: Hung Kuen Part 1: "Kyun" (Fist) Techniques and combinations with Stances
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxLhw0wEzRU

Episode 3: Hung Kuen Part 2: "Palm" and "Gung Ji Fok Fu Kuen"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr3E5vAxiQU

Episode 4: Hung Kuen Part 3: "Lai Maa Jat Zi Ceoi” and defense techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76y4M9nfHu0

Press Release: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202207/30/P2022072800531.htm

Established in 1981, the Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) is financially supported by the Hong Kong Government. As one of the nine flagship performing arts companies in Hong Kong, its mission is to promote Chinese dance with contemporary artistic visions and Hong Kong character. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021, HKDC has staged over 200 productions over the decades, many of which were highly popular with critical acclaim. Recent productions include The Legend of Mulan, Red Poppies, Spring Ritual·Eulogy, The Butterfly Lovers, Storm Clouds, L’Amour Immortel, Dream of the Past: Ancient Chinese Court Dances, Reveries of the Red Chamber, Chinese Hero: A Lone Exile, Vipassana, Lady White of West Lake, Tale of Three Cities, Waiting Heart, Liu Sanjie, Ode to the Silk Road, Dance of Strings, A Tale of the Southern Sky, Mazu the Sea Goddess, The Moon Opera, as well as Convergence, a culminating work created through a three-year interdisciplinary research study on Chinese dance and Chinese martial arts traditions.