"Memory Trace of Western Chamber"【SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts 2024】Unlock Dancing Plaza

In an eagerly awaited return to stage, seasoned dance artist Elsie Chau Kam Ngai partners with choreographer Ong Yong Lock in presenting the production Memory Trace of Western Chamber. Delving deep into her own past, Chau draws the audience into a soul-searching dance theater through the lens of Cui Yingying, the central character of the Chinese classic Romance of the Western Chamber.
The new commission dance piece marks Tai Kwun's continuation of featuring established and renowned female dancers which previously included Mui Cheuk-yin and Gigi Yang. As principal dancer with the Hong Kong Dance Company during the 1990s, Chau has flourished locally yet carries the indelible identity of an outsider. The paradox ignites her passion for creating this dance using the feudal-background Western Chamber as background.

The solo performance is equally dance spectacle and bringing on stage Chau's own vignettes in life. As she embodies Cui, a fascinating literary heroine who defies social mores, Chau parallels the character's emotions as they both forge their own paths through obstacles.
Bolstered by text from dramaturge Mann Chan and lighting design by Lee Chi Wai, Memory Trace of Western Chamber not only showcases Chau's dancing prowess but also invites the audience to embark on a journey that summons old memories and finds new poignancy.

Remarks

- Duration: approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Recommended for ages 6 and above
- No latecomers will be admitted
- Programmes are subject to change without prior notice. Tai Kwun reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the arrangements
- Performance lasts for around 75 minutes, part of the performance will be in Shanghainese, Mandarin
and Cantonese with no surtitles
- Unlock Dancing Plaza is financially supported by the HKADC