Cantonese Opera is one of the most important forms of Chinese Opera. Its history reaches back until the 13th century and every aspect on stage such as make up, costumes, acrobaticts or stage setting base on a long past. Also the plots of the plays tell mostly historical stories and therefore the nature of Cantonese Opera is very traditional.

“In Contemporary Dance it is all about interpreting”, contrasts Chen Siyun who does her Master of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts (HKAPA). She and her ‘touch?’ group mate Xie Xiaoyu noted differences in the way they move during dancing. Xiaoyu is also a student at the HKAPA, but does an Advanced Diploma in Cantonese Opera Performance. “Even though we express the same actions through dance, we make totally different movements”, they said during a group talk.

To show some distinctions in the way of dancing Xie Xiaoyu displayed some common elements of Cantonese Opera performing. Thereafter, Chen Siyun translated them in a contemporary, vigorous context: