The Hong Kong Dance Co (HKDance) is on a roll. In its 45th year, the city’s leading institution of Chinese contemporary dance has put together an impressive array of new productions, some of which involve interdisciplinary collaborations. In May, the company will put on In Between — Wu Guanzhong’s Ink Odyssey, giving a fresh lease of life to the legendary painter’s (1919-2010) works through movement. The show is the product of a collaborative effort between the company’s artistic director, Yang Yuntao; singer-songwriter Ivana Wong; and a group of French artists.

Last weekend, HKDance demonstrated its commitment to embrace inclusivity with the staging of Wayfaring Beyond, a large-scale outdoor production for which the company’s dancers teamed up with members of the China Hong Kong Para Dance Sport Association (CHKPDSA). Performed on the Parade Ground in Tai Kwun as part of the No Limits chapter of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the show marked HKDance’s inaugural participation in a festival program that fosters understanding of human limitations through the arts.

READ MORE: The Lee way

Meggy Cheng, executive director of HKDance, says that Wayfaring Beyond is the culmination of a yearlong collaborative process. “In 2025, we invited wheelchair dancers from the CHKPDSA to perform alongside our dancers in our annual children’s dance musical, The Kids in Rainbow Jerseys 2.0. It established a strong foundation of trust, rapport, and creative chemistry between our two teams, which gave us the confidence to create Wayfaring Beyond.”

The project is rooted in the belief that diverse bodies enhance rather than restrict dance’s expressive potential, says Cheng. “The real challenge of inclusivity lies not in technique, but in breaking free from an able-bodied-centric creative mindset and placing diverse bodies at the very core of creation.” She adds that Wayfaring Beyond was conceived as “a collective encounter” in which wheelchair dancers have been equal partners with HKDance artists, every step of the way.

Look back in wonder

Now all eyes are on Imprints: A Curated Selection of HKDance Originals, which premieres at Sha Tin Town Hall tonight. Performed by the entire company of 33 dancers, this special anniversary show features excerpts from HKDance’s highlight productions, aiming to reignite memories of some of its finest moments.

Yang took care to choose the sections that best reflect the company’s inclusive artistic vision and focus on innovation. “The excerpts collectively represent the various phases of our artistic exploration and breakthroughs,” he says.

Imprints includes the Helen Lai-choreographed Reveries of the Red Chamber (2016), based on Cao Xueqin’s masterpiece of a novel. The city-dweller’s innate longing to return to nature informs both Tale of Three Cities (2018), choreographed and danced by Xie Yin, and the Whispers of the Pines number from Shan Shui: An Ode to Nature (2021), directed and choreographed by Yang. There is also a segment from the dance poem Everlasting Love (2009) and a pas de deux from The Legend of Lanling (2024), a piece that combines dance with martial arts to depict the heroic life of Gao Changgong (541-573), a handsome high-ranking general of the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). Imprints also features an excerpt from After Snowfall (2024), inspired by Jin Dynasty calligrapher Wang Xizhi’s (303-361) letters to his friends. A Dance of Drumming Pulses (2024), which showcases the diversity of drumming and dancing styles by Chinese ethnic communities, is also included.

ALSO READ: 8th No Limits opens with show by world’s 1st professional inclusive orchestra

Yang has not made any changes to the original choreography or music of the featured pieces. “At its core, Imprints is a retrospective show and its essence lies in reenacting and paying tribute to the original spirit of these pieces. As we mark our 45th anniversary, this work provides a meaningful opportunity to reflect on our journey and draw strength from it,” he says.

“Imprints is a pastiche of seven distinct aesthetics placed side by side,” he adds. “In it, we aim to trace the artistic threads that run through our body of work. These accumulated reflections lay the foundation for future creations.”

He adds that Imprints serves as “a wonderful entry point to experience both HKDance’s 45 years of artistic exploration, in a distilled form”, as well as “the company’s uniquely Hong-Kong approach to contemporary Chinese dance”.

If you go

Imprints: a curated selection of HK Dance Originals

Dates: Through March 8

Venue: Sha Tin Town Hall,  1 Yuen Wo Road, Sha Tin

www.hkdance.com/en/ performance/imprints_en

The writer is a freelance contributor to China Daily.