For the first time in its 34-year history, the Hong Kong Ballet is performing a Chinese-themed ballet.
Usually known for classic productions such as The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, The Dream of the Red Chamber is a collaborative effort, with choreography by Wang Xin Peng, artistic director of Germany's Ballet Dortmund, and a musical score written by Oscar-winning composer Michael Nyman and performed by the Hong Kong Sinfonietta.
The ballet draws inspiration from the Dream of the Red Chamber, considered one of China's four great classical novels, written in the 18th Century by Cao Xueqin. The book is, at its heart, a tale of forbidden love, as well as being a commentary on life and the social structure of the times, especially among the aristocracy.