First of two programmes from the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet brings blazing energy and a cornucopia of male and female virtuoso dancing in the tumultuous, emotion-filled spectacle, The Flames of Paris.

With the French Revolution as background, this tale of action and romance was originally commissioned to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Russia’s own October Revolution, and intended to inspire the proletariat. It was Stalin’s favourite ballet. Rediscovered and revised by their former Artistic Director Alexei Ratmansky in 2008, this Soviet-era blockbuster has swiftly enthralled a new generation.

Bolshoi means ‘big’, and with its mass dances, flamboyant set pieces and cascades of dazzling steps, The Flames of Paris is big in every way. But there is delicacy, love and humour too. Boris Asafiev’s delightful score expertly drives a drama which combines elements of baroque and both 18th and 20th century realities and myths. When it comes to spectacle said Financial Times, ‘the Bolshoi knows how. Bravissimo!’

The Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe has a special bond with Hong Kong: their debut in the city 30 years ago turned them into a household name across China. Now they return to celebrate their anniversary at the HKAF.

Yue opera is the only Chinese opera that features all-female troupes and the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua is foremost among them. Known for their poetic and graceful singing, the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua under leadership of opera superstar Mao Weitao, is also innovative and experimental.

This 30th anniversary special at the HKAF features Five Daughters Offering Felicitation, the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua’s most celebrated classic with a large cast that shows off the troupe’s wealth of talents; The Moon Over a Fountain, a new work specially created for the anniversary, paying homage to the musical heritage of Zhejiang region by bringing together its opera with its most famouserhu musician Hua Yanjun; and The New Butterfly Lovers, an award-winning reinterpretation of the Yue opera canon and China’s best-known tragic romance, often regarded as the nation’s Romeo and Juliet.

Simultaneously performed and filmed live with a live score of Foley Sound, and projected video feed, PuppetCinema’s inaugural show, Planet Egg creates both a theatrical intimacy with miniature puppets and a cinematic grandness worthy of an epic space odyssey. The visual world of Planet Egg is comprised of found and organic objects, crafted creations, and electronic parts who reside on a moving Lazy Susan like contraption. The Robot, his ship, and all his belongings are made from pieces of old stereos, telephones, springs, and other metal bits. Some of Planet Egg’s natives are sculpted from clay, while many are made of vegetable matter. A love story in deep space, Planet Egg features two unlikely friends, The Robot Cosmonaut and a Scallion alien creature. A herd of aggressive mushrooms and dangerous molten lava (volcanic fried eggs) are their foils. The story is told with minimal language on a desolate interplanetary fantasy world with creatures who are all good and all cute. And all hungry.

Programme 1 (Mar 12, 15, 8:15pm)

The Trouble-maker’s Concerto
Choreographed by Justyne Li, Wong Tan-ki

Partners on stage and in life, Justyne Li and Wong Tan-ki won the 2014 Hong Kong Dance Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Choreography” for their work Galatea X. This new HKAF commission starts from their own bodies and from themselves as natural-born trouble-makers, seeking a more authentic way to perform.

Fleeing By Night 2
Choreographed by Wayson Poon

Active in Beijing and Hong Kong, Wayson Poon is a daring choreographer who challenges the boundaries of the contemporary. This brand new solo work is tightly intertwined with audio and visual effects, to question the place for the body among trapped urbanites.

Programme 2 (Mar 13-14 8:15pm)

From the Top
Choreographed by Victor Fung

Dancer, choreographer, and doctorate candidate Victor Fung is a rising star, received the Award for Young Artist in recognition for his artistic achievement in dance at the 2013 Hong Kong Arts Development Award. From the Top looks at envy, admiration and awkward interactions when nostalgia faces off with anticipation of the future.

Diffusion of the Silence
Choreographed by Chloe Wong

Choreographer Chloe Wong continues her dance theatre exploration after her notable contribution to this dance platform last year. This new work for four dancers examines complex human psychology through the lens of politics and conflicts.

Programme 3 (Mar 14-15 3:00pm)

Dance-off
Choreographers Hugh Cho, Li De, Ivy Tsui, Ata Wong, Tracy Wong, Rebecca Wong, Allen Yuan

A brand new initiative to further foster creative talents in contemporary dance: seven emerging choreographers are invited to experiment, to create. They are each given 10 minutes to express themselves in any style and any contemporary dance language. Perhaps it is to grab onto a feeling, or to question society, art and life, but every work is taking dance back to its purest state. Veteran choreographers Daniel Yeung and Xing Liang are artistic advisors.

Acclaimed at its 2012 premiere as a triumph of storytelling and design, Christopher Wheeldon has master-minded a fabulous and breathtaking co-production for Dutch National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.

Respectful of tradition but firmly in touch with the 21st century in this contemporary interpretation, Wheeldon’s heroine takes charge of her own destiny in a production that delights at every level, for every age. Superbly performed choreography that is ‘bright and lyrical, elegant and humorous’ (The Times) complements sensational set and design by top Broadway talents Julian Crouch and Basil Twist. There are glamorous wigs and costumes galore, flying chairs, a magic tree, puppets and cinematic wizardry.

From beautiful, blue sky opening image to happy and glorious ending, you will be spellbound.

Classics Revisited (12-14 Mar)
The four excerpts of this programme are described as “core repertoire” of Cantonese opera. These excerpts contain transferrable elements – characterisation, enunciation, hand gesture, posture and music – that can be applied to other operas with similar narrative scenarios. Every performer must master these excerpts as part of the training. Featuring rising stars of Cantonese opera under the instruction of veteran performers, this programme gives a glimpse into the meticulous apprenticeship in the making of an opera performer.

Hong Kong’s leading Cantonese opera performers come together to bring the rarely performed classic back to the stage. Immortalised in a film version starring Cantonese opera legend Fong Yim-fun, Lovers’ Tears is a tragic story about a man who sacrifices his own wife to protect his exiled blood brother’s wife, after the brother’s family is condemned to death. Full of impassioned singing, this gripping tale of selflessness is also renowned in Beijing opera.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” The opening line of Pride and Prejudice, one of the best loved works of English literature and continuously in print since first publication in 1813, sets the scene for Jane Austen’s wonderful study of manners and morality among the landed gentry in 18th century England. The Gate Theatre production captures Jane Austen’s sharp sense of humour and her elegant style.

With five daughters of marriageable age, Mr and Mrs Bennet are thrilled when an eligible bachelor and his friends move into the neighbourhood. But when daughter Elizabeth meets Mr Darcy, sparks begin to fly. In a world where wealth dictates relationships, can each overcome their own pride and prejudice and find true love?

The Gate Theatre makes their debut in Hong Kong with Pride and Prejudice, which has played to packed houses and standing ovations both in Ireland and in the United States.

2 Men by HORSE
Interdependent, competitive, colleagues, friends, rivals. 2 Men takes HORSE’s two founders as a starting point to unpick the personal and professional relationships between two men “who are most familiar with each other”. Directed by renowned theatre director Edward Lam, a keen observer of culture and human relationships, 2 Men builds and unravels their entwined lives to Lee Shih-yang’s experimental score on a prepared piano. HORSE is Taiwan’s first all-male dance company and their explosive, passionate and driven performance has won them awards at home and abroad, including the prestigious Taishin Arts Award in performing arts and the First Prize and Audience Award in the Kurt Jooss Preis in 2013 (2 Men).

Traces by Hyoseung Ye
Traces examines a dancer’s body. A lone figure twitches and ticks. As nervous tension mounts to the edge of explosion, music soothes the body, evolving to lightness and flexibility. Korean choreographer Hyoseung Ye, trained in traditional, classical and contemporary dance, started his career with the Seoul Contemporary Dance Company, before establishing himself on the European stage, working with Carolyn Carlson in France and Alain Platel in Belgium. It was with Platel’s Ballet C de la B that he unleashed his creativity, taking part in the creation of Vsprs, Pitié! and Out of Context: For Pina. He now explores choreography from his native Korea.

A unique and magical performance of Homer’s ancient Greek adventure story, told through real-time animation, live music, drawings and cut-out paper puppets.

Cleverly manipulating pen and ink sketches in front of a projector and onto a big screen alongside the live music, Nicholas Rawling and his group of artist-puppeteers and musicians portray Odysseus’ epic journey to get back to his family after the Trojan Wars.

Homer’s Odyssey is the second oldest, surviving work of Western literature, and one of the most gripping action tales ever written. Mixing the tradition of storytelling with hand-crafted technology and captivating live score from exceptional musicians, the Paper Cinema has created a beautifully imaginative, convincing and completely original production – without actors, set or spoken script!