Review | Hong Kong Ballet’s The Butterfly Lovers review – brilliant choreography
Created in-house, this version of the classic story blends ballet with Chinese dance, and has an incredible score and amazing choreography
The Butterfly Lovers is the first full-length ballet co-created by Ricky Hu Songwei, Hong Kong Ballet’s choreographer-in-residence. This was a major step for Hu and the company, and the work lived up to it.
Full of emotional power, with brilliant choreography which blends classical ballet with Chinese dance to striking effect, an outstanding score, ingenious designs and moving performances, The Butterfly Lovers looks set to be a signature ballet which could help propel the Hong Kong troupe onto the international stage.
The classic story revolves around China’s most famous star-crossed lovers – Zhu Yingtai, a girl from a wealthy family who disguises herself as a boy so she can study at boarding school, and Liang Shanbo, a male student from a more humble background.
The two schoolmates become “sworn brothers” and Zhu falls in love with Liang, although he loves her only as a friend.
When Zhu is recalled to her family home, Liang visits her, discovers she is really a girl and love blossoms between them. However, Zhu’s parents have already found a husband for her, so the lovers must part.
