The Rule Breakers

Get ready for thrilling works
by some of ballet’s most creative dance makers!

George Balanchine was ballet's first real rule-breaker, remaking 19th century ballet for a modern world. Rounding out this powerful programme is Serenade, one of Balanchine's most perfect ballets. It was the first work he made after moving to America in the 1930s, and it distills the language of classical ballet to its essentials. Set to a transcendent Tchaikovsky score, the ballet is performed by dancers in blue costumes in front of a blue background. Balanchine worked unexpected rehearsal events into the choreography. When one student fell, he incorporated it. Another day, a student arrived late, and this too became part of the ballet.

Known as one of ballet's real game changers, William Forsythe revolutionised contemporary ballet, making innovative new works for the modern era. His ground-breaking In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is set to Thom Willems' driving electronic score and is a highly-anticipated Hong Kong Ballet premiere. With this powerful work created for Paris Opera Ballet in 1987, Forsythe made ballet fresh again by taking a fierce urban approach to classical lines and choreography. He boldly opened up new possibilities for choreographers by turning ballet on its head while paying homage to its revered classical sensibilities.

Following in his footsteps is European sensation Andonis Foniadakis, who uses ballet to creatively express modernity and all its layers. Hong Kong audiences will experience Foniadakis' thrilling world premiere ballet inspired by the songs of the charttopping '80s pop pioneers Depeche Mode. With death-defying lifts and emotional choreography brimming with energy and passion, Foniadakis' new work promises to be unforgettable.