A dazzling production is coming to HK Ballet, The Orpheus Cabaret! HKU GUILD is proud to support a fresh exploration of one of the oldest love stories, the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice.
The renowned musician Orpheus is terribly punished for his seemingly humble mistake. After singing a haunting release of his recently dead wife from the underworld, Orpheus suddenly turns around near the exit. He breaks his promise with Hades and sneaks a peek at Eurydice.
One mistake, one brief look backwards, that’s all it takes. Orpheus shuts down Eurydice’s single chance of crossing the threshold with him and returning to the world of the living, Yet, on that single decision, Orpheus launches one of the most compelling questions of all time.
Why does this mystical man turn his head backwards, when he is so close to his goal? Is it fear or love, or something else? Every time we ask, Orpheus himself may say, to echo the poets, “That wasn’t it at all.”
For more than 2000 years, we have seen thousands of faces attached, across paintings and literature and the big screen, to this deeply human and inconceivable decision.
This winter HK Ballet takes up the challenge! In a deliciously contemporary vision the bedazzled rockstar Orpheus wraps himself up in a pink-feather coat, at the height of his powers. What can this flamboyant Orpheus unleash from the longstanding mystery, and what about Eurydice? What can we learn from these explorers in our times of blindness and self-discovery?
Join Orpheus and Eurydice in a world of magnetic passion and dance. Join us and explore this riveting story of loss and self-love. Produced and performed by HK Ballet’s young choreographers and dancers, The Orpheus Cabaret opens its gates soon! Learn more at HK Ballet.
Creative Team
Choreography | Forrest Rain Oliveros Jonathan Spigner Jessica Burrows Sarita Chan Leung Chunlong Lin Chang-yuan Kyle Li Lin |
Artistic Collaborator | Professor Page Richards |
Artistic Collaborator Assistants | Jamie Chang Tiffany Fong Barbie Liu |