Since 2016, CCDC set up the “City Contemporary Dance Laureate” to recognise individuals who made significant contributions to contemporary dance in Hong Kong in the previous year. Nominees can be of any nationality and from any territory, and from diverse backgrounds including creativity and production, education, publicity and promotion, and sponsorship of cultural exchanges. Candidates are nominated by CCDC members and approved by the Company’s board of directors.
City Contemporary Dance Laureate Presentation Ceremony 2019 was held at the foyer of Kwai Tsing Theatre on 26th April (Friday) at 6:30pm. Congratulations to all the awardees for their contribution to the development of contemporary dance in Hong Kong.
Dr. Thomas Townsend Brown Jr (1948-2018), Scholar in Dance Education
The late Dr Tom Brown had been a tireless pioneer of Hong Kong dance development as teacher, mentor, scholar and artist since his arrival in Hong Kong in 1985. During the years at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, he was Head of Modern Dance, Associate Dean of Dance and the first Dean of Graduate Education, roles in which he played a crucial part in nurturing local choreographers and dancers. He was one of the earliest members of the Hong Kong Dance Alliance, of which he was Chairman Emeritus and which he served as an Executive Committee member until his death. He was the long-standing editor of dance journal/hk and steering person for the Dance Awards, both of which celebrate their 21st anniversaries this year. His energy, commitment and immeasurable contribution are invaluable to the development of contemporary dance in Hong Kong.
Ms. Christine Lau, Artist with disabilities
Christine Lau is an ADA artist who is gifted with dance and music. Being born with Down Syndrome has not stopped her from thriving. Her deep passion for dance sparked at age 4 when she started learning ballet. With determination and persistence over the years, she overcame physical challenges and attained a Grade 8 Ballet from the Beijing Dance Academy Chinese Dance Examination, the accolade of Australian Teachers of Dancing Gold Medal Jazz Moves, and Intermediate Foundation of Vocational Graded Examinations of the Royal Academy of Dance. In addition, she has devoted herself further in creation. Last year, she returned to her alma mater, Rotary Club of Hong Kong Island West Hong Chi Morninghope School, and took up the role of teaching assistant for The Shine Dancing Group. Through dance, she extends her helping hands to people with special needs and unleashes positive vibes around. She truly deserves our commendation.
Ms. Wong Mei-tak, The Principal of St. Paul’s School (Lam Tin)
The Principal of St. Paul’s School (Lam Tin) Ms. Wong Mei-tak gave her full support to the school to launch a holistic dance scheme in 2018 to provide a nurturing environment for students to explore creativity through dance. In addition to the creative dance programme during regular physical education classes, students from Form 3 to Form 5 also learned choreography skills from professional dancers invited by the School. From seed to flower, the School proudly staged a dance festival to showcase students’ learning outcomes and talents. Recognising the importance of inspiring students’ creativity through dance, the School has won our praise and applause for their pioneering educational innovation of incorporating creative dance in the regular curriculum.