“L’Amour Immortel generates an eerie and mysterious ambiance which blurs the line between man and ghost...It reawakens the qualities that are gradually being lost in this modern age - a pure heart with no hidden agenda and a tenacious spirit that knowingly defies the impossible.” - Dance Journal/hk

 

“A rich, emotive work full of twists and turns.” - Culture Review

 

“The perfect marriage between romance and dance.” - Hong Kong Economic Journal

 

 

Deep in the forest, Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian catch a glimpse of each other through the gauze curtains of a bamboo hut. What follows is an epic love story between the dead and the living. Based on the classic literary masterpiece Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and drawing inspiration from the classic 1980s film, A Chinese Ghost Story produced by Tsui Hark, L’Amour Immortel is a large-scale dance drama which depicts the initial encounter, romance and heartbreaking separation of the male and female protagonists through intimate dances.

 

Hong Kong Dance Company
(One of the three flagship dance companies in Hong Kong)

Established in 1981, the Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) was incorporated in 2001 as a charitable and non-profit-making institution, and is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Its mission is to promote Chinese dance with contemporary artistic visions and Hong Kong character.

 

 

Since its inception, HKDC has staged over 100 productions, many of which were highly popular with critical acclaim. Recent award-winning productions include The Legend of Mulan, L'Amour Immortel, Storm Clouds, Chinese Hero: A Lone Exile, and Lady White of West Lake. HKDC has been touring to different cities across the globe, engaging local audiences, and encouraging cultural exchange.

 

In recent years, the company has brought its productions to the 2008 Beijing Olympics arts festival, the 2010 Shanghai Expo, Toronto, New York City, Sydney, London, Seoul, Taipei, among others.

 

Poetic set design exudes ethereal charm, broadening the stage for wider imagination
The stage design for L'Amour Immortel is created by the renowned Hong Kong scenographer Tsang Man-tung, who has worked in the industry for over two decades. He was awarded, among others, Best Set Design, Best Costume Design at the Hong Kong Drama Awards, and Best Artist (Theatre) (2007/08) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards.

 

The stage opens up with a couple of drooping bamboo curtains, the subtle projection of a bamboo grove, and a cabin outlined with several wooden planks to portray the atmosphere of Lanruo Temple. The scene where the Ghosts' Gate opens wide is embodied by an array of origami Ghost Festival mascots, heightened with the alternating purple-green lights for mind-bending visual impact.

 

Notably, the two villains in the story - the Tree Hag and the Dark Mountain Demon - are abstractly portrayed with group dance scenes and black wide ribbons, transforming the concrete film characters into poetic stage images.

 

Versatile Hong Kong musician reinterprets iconic tunes
The refreshing music score in L'Amour Immortel is supervised by the well-known Hong Kong composer Yin Ng, who has collaborated with numerous pop music artists and bands including Eason Chen, Hacken Lee, Tsai Chin, and Hins Cheung. He is known for the diversity of his works, which include over 100 orchestral and Chinese Orchestra music productions. He was awarded Best Artist (Music) (2012) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards.

 

 

The dance drama layers a low-pitched female vocal into its classical music, humming in a weeping tone, complementing the storytelling of dance. Written by James Wong, the reminiscent tunes from the movie are reinterpreted with a twist. In the last scene, Parting at the Lanruo Temple, Nie runs off and fades away with the sun, while the audience’s heartbeats resonate with the melody from Please Don’t Come, Dawn to its peak.

 

Plots and feelings communicated through body language
Without the verbal dialogues in the film, dancers channel their feelings with their bodies. L'Amour Immortel involves diverse dance styles and pace patterns, not only as a means to engage the audience, but also to portray the characters with their own unique complexity.

 

The crowd celebrating the Ghost Festival, for example, illustrates Yan Chixia’s candid temperament with both contemporary and folk dance references. In the scene Love with no regrets, the ensemble’s water sleeves are the extension of Nie’s heartbreak and helplessness. As for Ning and Nie’s duets, the intensive lifting, rotating and falling routines are designed, again, to bring out their tender yet persistent passion.

 

Winner of Hong Kong Dance Awards 2016
Outstanding Set Design for Dance (Zeng Wentong) / Outstanding Performance by a Female Dancer (Li Han) / Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer (Tang Ya)

 

Performers: Hong Kong Dance Company Dancers
Pan Lingjuan, Principal Dancer, as Nie Xiaoqian / Li Han, Principal Dancer, as Ning Caichen / Chen Rong, Senior Dancer, as Yan Chixia

 

 

Creative Team
Director / Choreographer: Yang Yuntao
Associate Choreographer: Xie Yin
Script Adaptation: Sin Chun-tung
Music Director / Composer: Yin Ng
Set Designer: Tsang Man-tung
Costume Designer: Eddy Mok
Lighting Designer: Billy Tang
Digital Images Designer: Oliver Shing

 

Music Credits
A Chinese Ghost Story (倩女幽魂) / L'Amour Immortel
Composing/lyrics: James Wong, Singer: Leslie Cheung, Publisher: Taiyo Music (HK) Limited

May the Dawn Never Come (黎明不要来)
Composing/lyrics: James Wong, Singer: Sally Yeh, Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music, H.K. Limited

Tao, Tao, Tao (道道道)
Composing/lyrics: James Wong, Singer: James Wong, Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Limited

 

Special thanks to Mr. Tsui Hark for authorizing the adaptation of A Chinese Ghost Story.