South China Morning Post
March 24, 2005
Spartacus
Kevin Kwong
Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall Tomorrow-Sat, 8pm, Sat-Sun, 3pm
In 1981, at the age of 21, Irek Mukhamedov became the youngest man
to dance the leading role in Spartacus with the Bolshoi Ballet. He’s
now in town to perform this piece that earned him a place in Russian
ballet history – giving it a 21st-century twist with help from the
Hong Kong Ballet.
The name Spartacus is, in the ballet world, forever associated with
the great Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich. But the work is
more than three decades old and it’s time for an update.
Mukhamedov, who is now London-based, has returned to the original book
by Raffaello Giovagnoli and devised a new scenario that’s free from
the “political considerations” of the Soviet Union that had dictated
the work in the past.
According to the Hong Kong Ballet, the production will depend more
on lighting than physical scenery, to allow maximum use of space
for dancing.
So it’s only appropriate to put John A. Williams in the lighting
design hot seat. Having trained with one of England’s oldest theatre
companies, the Bristol Old Vic, Williams became its head of lighting
and went on to light more than 250 local and international productions,
including West End and Broadway shows.
Williams is no stranger to the Hong Kong Ballet, having lit numerous
shows for the company, including Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.
Spartacus will feature top dancers, including principals Nobuo Fujino
and Faye Leung. Both have performed overseas, with Fujino recently
picking up the Hong Kong Dance Awards best performance prize presented
by the Hong Kong Dance Alliance.
Set to a score by Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, Spartacus
features a demanding choreography for male dancers, including epic
battle scenes, gladiator fights and romantic pas de deux. This new
work is sure to add sparkle to the Hong Kong Ballet’s increasingly
unique repertoire.