Margaret Lau to host new chapter of ballet appreciation lecture series

     Local ballet educator Margaret Lau will host a new chapter of the popular lecture series on ballet appreciation in July, August and September.

     In this series of 10 lectures under the theme "The Legend Continues", Lau will revisit various thrilling excerpts of gravity-defying moments by great ballet dancers, and help the audience appreciate a new generation of dance stars who have taken up the baton in their performances of representative classical and contemporary pieces.

     All of the lectures, to be conducted in Cantonese and supplemented with video clips of repertoire, will be held at 7.30pm at AC1 (except August 8 at AC2), Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Details are as follows:

July 25 (Thursday)
Topic: "Margot Fonteyn"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet (United Kingdom)

August 1 (Thursday)
Topic: "When Nureyev Meets Fonteyn"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet and Wiener Staatsoper Ballet (Austria)

August 8 (Thursday)
Topic: "Marguerite and Armand"
Video clips: The Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet (France)

August 15 (Thursday)
Topic: "Natalia Makarova and her 'Swan Lake'"
Video clips: American Ballet Theatre, London Festival Ballet (United Kingdom), the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of China

August 22 (Thursday)
Topic: "Mikhail Baryshnikov"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet (United States)

August 29 (Thursday)
Topic: "Don Quixote"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, Australian Ballet, the National Ballet of China and Teatro alla Scala Ballet (Italy)

September 5 (Thursday)
Topic: "Cinderella"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet

September 12 (Thursday)
Topic: "La Bayadère"
Video clips: Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Ballet and the National Ballet of China

September 19 (Thursday)
Topic: "Nijinsky Sketches"
Video clips: Mariinsky Ballet (Russia), American Ballet Theatre and Paris Opera Ballet

September 26 (Thursday)
Topic: "Nijinsky"
Video clips: The Hamburg Ballet (Germany), the National Ballet of Canada and Australian Ballet

     Margaret Lau is a dance critic and feature writer for various magazines and newspapers in Hong Kong. Her published works include “Twinkle Twinkle Dance Stars", "Chinese Ballet Sketches" and "Chinese Dancers in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan". Lau has a passion for ballet and travels extensively to attend and cover dance performances. Her experience and knowledge undoubtedly enhance the audience's appreciation of ballet performances.

     The Lecture series on appreciating ballet "The Legend Continues" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $50 (for each lecture) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_815.html.