Eye-catching billboards of the Shenzhen dance drama "Wing Chun" are seen in the bustling downtown areas in Shenzhen and Hong Kong; soon, the well-received drama will premiere in Hong Kong, with five performances to be staged at the Lyric Theater of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from Thursday to Sunday.
A trailer for the dance drama's Hong Kong premiere can be seen at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and at major checkpoints including Luohu, Liantang, Futian, and Shenzhen Bay checkpoints, where leaflets about the show are provided to cross-border travelers.
"Wing Chun" offers an artistic feast where martial arts and dance meet, and has been hailed as an original high-quality dance drama rarely seen on the Chinese stage in recent years. It has taken China by storm since its debut at the Shenzhen Poly Theater on Dec. 22, 2022.
Within an artistic framework of dual settings and storylines, the dance drama also ingeniously accommodates Chinese intangible cultural heritage, including the martial art of Wing Chun and gambiered gauze (Xiangyunsha). The former runs through the story's theme, while the latter integrates visual presentation into the plot and stage performance.
Chinese martial art Wing Chun is not unfamiliar to Hongkongers, as the city has a rich history in developing and encouraging the growth of martial arts and is home to some of the world's best training schools and most accomplished masters.
Wing Chun grandmaster Yip Man popularized the martial art in Hong Kong; and has influenced millions of martial artists around the world, including many famous ones like the late Bruce Lee. Nowadays, Hong Kong has many Wing Chun training school, where many of Yip's senior students still teach.
From Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" to Donnie Yen's "Ip Man" movie series, and then to Tony Leung's "The Grandmaster," Wing Chun has not only shone on the silver screen, but also gained growing clout worldwide.
"I hope the Hong Kong audience will recognize the role I play after watching it. This is not only my greatest expectation, but also my greatest encouragement," Chang Hongji, who plays Yip Man in the dance drama and chief dancer of the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theater, said.
Chang confessed that the pressure is greater because Hong Kong audiences have a special emotional attachment to Yip Man. "This is a stage that can better test whether I truly understand the role of Yip Man," he added.
"Wing Chun" has been on a tour across China since March 2023, creating a buzz nationwide. The dance drama held 132 performances, with a theatrical view reaching about 150,000. It also made its overseas debut in Singapore at the Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay, with four shows from Sept. 27 to 30, 2023, garnering rave reviews.