The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) - School of Dance
Performances & Events
Performances & Events
About Our Study Programmes
Dance is an art form which can provide significant statements about the world, life and the human condition. Dancers and other artists are the spiritual heart of any society, and a reflection of its value and beliefs, hopes and aspirations. The School of Dance therefore aims to produce creative dance artists who are able to recognise Hong Kong as the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures with a global perspective, and to contribute to the development of the region’s diverse and ever-expanding dance culture.
Integration lies at the very heart of the school’s philosophy; that is, the integration of its three specialisations of performance practice areas, of practice and dance studies theory, of technique, choreography, dance science, pedagogy and dance technology, of the school and the profession.
GYDP is a unique training programme for talented young students aged 11 to 18. Based on best practice models from around the world, the GYDP is designed to complement and supplement a student’s existing dance tuition. Successful candidates will receive weekly technical and artistic training from Hong Kong’s most experienced dance teachers at the world-class facilities of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The programme aims to develop the student’s awareness of dance as an art form and a career option. It is particularly designed for young people who are intending to pursue full-time dance training once they have completed secondary school.
Our graduates are regularly invited to join overseas and local dance companies including Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Dance Company, City Contemporary Dance Company and other medium size dance companies. Hong Kong Disneyland also offers employment opportunities for large numbers of dance graduates. Importantly, Hong Kong's vibrant dance scene owes much to the energy and initiative of the independent dance sector, and performance opportunities with small ‘pick-up' companies, established by School graduates and often involving cutting-edge collaborations with artists from other disciplines, are a regular feature. These include E-Side Dance Company, 4 Degrees Dance Laboratory, Y-Space, Unlock Dancing Plaza, Miranda Chin Dance Company, DanceArt, Rhythm & Tempo, Passover Dance Company, among others.
Apart from working as professional dancers, our graduates also find employment as choreographers, movement coach, dance and arts administrators, project coordination, producers, dance scientists, dance researchers and teachers in private dance schools, primary and secondary schools, and in community centres. In recent years, an increasing number of graduates have taken up employment abroad, joined graduate dance companies, or gone on to further studies at the Postgraduate level, either in Hong Kong, or abroad.