Helen Lai
Helen Lai has been creating dances for over 30 years and remains one of East Asia’s foremost dance-makers as resident choreographer for the City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC), of which she was a founding member and artistic director. Her work for Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Guangdong Modern Dance Company and Singapore Dance Theatre has earned widespread admiration and numerous awards. Lai first became interested in dance after seeing Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova in a film of Giselle. After studying ballet with local teachers and working with Hong Kong Ballet for All, her desire to explore modern dance led her to the London Contemporary Dance School. Lai’s choreography is often rooted in literature and music, and she is a fan of the German tanztheater style of dance, citing Pina Bausch as an influence. In Colour Fugue she worked with multimedia artist Wong Yan Kwai, and in Plaza X she even had an ice rink on stage.
