It’s winter, the season of “Tai Kwun Circus Plays”! During the Christmas and New Year holidays, our city’s circus artists will join acrobatic veterans from around the world to present an array of dreamy, exciting, and innovative circus performances and workshops.
Flotados (Spain) │ 15–19.12.2021 7:30pm
Created by the prize-winning Spanish troupe David Moreno Cia. & Cristina Calleja, Flotados is an otherworldly outdoor circus performance that will take over the Parade Ground during Tai Kwun’s Circus Plays. Performing from a grand piano suspended a gravity-defying 8 metres overhead, two performers tell an enchanting love story through music, dance, acrobatics and video projections. Take a step back and look into the night sky, follow the elegant moves of the performers and immerse yourself in a universe of dreams. A romantic and holistic aerial dance is set to kick start an amazing Christmas for Tai Kwun guests.
The ChristMice Cracker (Hong Kong) │ 24–27.12.2021
Inspired by the classical ballet The Nutcracker, Hong Kong’s own, home-grown physical theatre troupe TS Crew expands its most dramatic “battle” scene to create The ChristMice Cracker. With local flavours sprinkled to this classic, the exhilarating outdoor performance features lion dance, Chinese Opera, circus, acrobats, and beatboxing, as well as street performance spirits including unicycles, stilts and fire-breathing. Performed by a dozen of highly skilled local artists, this hybrid work of theatre, gala and contemporary circus is set to turn the Parade Ground into the dreamland of Clara and the Prince with a unique “Hong Kong” twist over the Christmas long weekend.
Ting-koo-ki Mad Skills Battle (Hong Kong x Taiwan) │31.12.2021–02.01.2022
Returning to Tai Kwun for the third year, Ting-Koo-Ki Mad Skills Battle and Gala are the most exciting circus party to showcase local and Taiwanese circus talents on the outdoor stage in the Parade Ground. Taking place over the New Year, the Gala celebrates each individual performer’s edgiest acts, before they participate in the Battle to win the audience’s vote in one-on-one challenges.
A co-produced circus movie, Isabella by Tai Kwun and Hsingho Co., will also be presented online in the New Year. Directed by Portuguese circus artist Ricardo S. Mendes, the film features circus talents from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Portugal, Italy and France along with their unique props. The film presents a touching story of circus performers’ lives as they exist as both human beings and artists
CircusCracker Workshops │24.12.2021–02.01.2022
From Christmas Eve to the New Year, a series of workshops echoing the theme of “Nutcracker” will be available to the public, free-of-charge. Participants will first enjoy the demonstration by the professional artists, before they learn and experience the crafts and tricks first-hand. Designed for families, the CircusCracker Workshops encompass crystal ball, Kendama, puppet-making and more. Join and challenge yourself this season to unleash the untapped potential within you!
Circus Camp for Professionals│01–02.01.2022
Returning with critical acclaim, the world’s leading juggling company Gandini Juggling will host another year of advanced training workshop for local jugglers and choreographers. SeanGandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala, the Artistic Directors of the company, will take their recent workLIFE, inspired by Merce Cunningham, as the lead to explore the concept of “layering” as well as the relationship between choreography and contemporary circus.