The Butterfly Lovers: Hong Kong Ballet makes the old new

Ma Renjie and Hong Kong Ballet in The Butterfly Lovers

Hong Kong Ballet in Hu Song Wei Ricky's The Butterfly Lovers

Xuan Cheng (middle) and Hong Kong Ballet in Hu Song Wei Ricky's The Butterfly Lovers

Xuan Cheng (middle) and Hong Kong Ballet in The Butterfly Lovers

Ma Renjie and Xuan Cheng in The Butterfly Lovers

Ma Renjie and Hong Kong Ballet in The Butterfly Lovers

By Carla Escoda, 25 August 2025

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“Hong Kong Ballet has found a way to tell a time-honored story with modern-day convictions”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: David H Koch Theater, New York City on 22 August 2025

The Butterfly Lovers (Hu Song Wei Ricky, Mai Jingwen)

Hong Kong Ballet

Lio Kuokman, Conductor

Tim Yip, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Tsz Yan Yeung, Lighting Designer

New York City Ballet Orchestra

Renjie Ma, Dancer

Xuan Cheng, Dancer

Mira Nadon’s sparkling debut in Firebird with New York City Ballet

Ivy Lin, 25th April

A triple bill comprising Balanchine's Symphony in C, Agon and Firebird could not have been more inspiringly danced by New York City Ballet.

*****

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

A spectacular triple bill lifts ABT’s spring season in New York

Leigh Donlan, 13th March

A finely curated triple bill from American Ballet Theatre included works from Balanchine, Jiří Kylián and Alexei Ratmansky.

****1

Lar Lubovitch’s Othello is Shakespeare meets drambalet at ABT

Ivy Lin, 6th March

In spite of somewhat limited dance vocabulary, American Ballet Theatre showcased its strength in dance actors presenting a very enjoyable Othello in New York.

***11

Understatement and spectacle at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 26th February

Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering and George Balanchine's Diamonds make a study in contrasts. With lots of debuts in the former and seasoned leads in the latter.

*****

Mejia debuts in a sumptuous Sleeping Beauty at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 12th February

Roman Mejia and a raft of soloist debuts galvanized Peter Martins' Sleeping Beauty. An elegant production with some incidental messiness and the structural liability of a princess' dependence on a kiss.

****1

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Carla Escoda

Born in the Philippines, Carla trained as a ballet and modern dancer with the Alice Reyes Dance Company in Manila. She has lived and worked in Asia and the U.S. and has written about the arts for Bachtrack, KQED (the northern California public media broadcaster), Dance International, dance journal/hk, the Huffington Post, Dance Europe and ballettothepeople.