SWEAT Hong Kong International Dance Workshop Festival 2025
18-22 June 2025
Co-presented by
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
World Dance Alliance Asia-Pacific
Theme: ‘Cultural Sequences: Asia Pacific Choreographic Discovery’
Choreographers today are creating works that transcend boundaries, reimagine cultural narratives and articulate their ingenuity, creativity, and cultural identity. Through the reinterpretation of traditional forms and the exploration of contemporary issues like migration, climate change, and digital transformation, Asia-Pacific choreographers are redefining cultural embodiment and expression within a global yet localized context.
We invite submissions that explore, but are not limited to, the following questions:
- Discovering, Interrogating, and Evolving
- How are Asia-Pacific choreographers redefining aesthetic boundaries and experimenting with new forms of movement and performance?
- What methodologies can be employed to discover and critically interrogate emerging choreographic practices?
- How do these practices reflect, resist, or transform cultural and historical narratives specific to the region?
- How do choreographic works transmit and transform cultural knowledge across generations and geographies?
- Cultural Contexts and Histories
- How do choreographic practices in Asia-Pacific engage with and reinterpret colonial histories, cultural traditions, and indigenous identities?
- In what ways do choreographers ‘re-map’ cultural and geopolitical landscapes through their work?
- Contemporary Challenges
- How are issues such as climate change, migration, and digital transformation reshaping choreographic practices?
- How does choreography articulate resistance, resilience, or activism in the face of these challenges?
- How do choreographers navigate tensions between global influences and local specificity in their creative work?
I. Academic Paper Presentation
Selected papers on related themes will be organised into sessions. Each speaker will present their paper in succession followed by a moderated discussion to encourage audience engagement. This format promotes the exploration of diverse research interests and provides an excellent platform for in-depth conversations among participants. Papers presented at the conference may be invited for publication in both online and hardcopy formats in the HKAPA official journal, PA:PER, after appropriate editing as part of the conference proceedings.
II. Dance Lecture Demonstration (for Artist-scholars practice-based research exploring choreographic practices in Asia-Pacific)
This presentation invites choreographers and creative practitioners to share performances, insights into their creative processes, and reflections on their choreographic practices. Two selected lecture demonstrations with thematic connections will be grouped into the same session, each featuring a performance and a discussion.
III. Emerging Scholars Presentation
This is an excellent opportunity for young scholars who have developed a strong research focus or practice-as-research approach but are in the early stages of writing to receive feedback and insights from other researchers. Presentations are expected to be brief, with speakers showing a maximum of 20 slides in a 10-minute paper presentation or conducting a 15-minute lecture demonstration. This session enables young scholars to effectively pitch their profiles, productions, or projects to the audience.
IV. DanceTECH Research Showcase
Choreographers are increasingly developing innovative choreographic methods and approaches to movement using cutting-edge technologies like interactive systems, generative AI, motion capture, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). These practices redefine conventional approaches to dance-making, dancing bodies, and dance practices. We invite proposals for work-in-progress showcases exploring the intersections of choreography, technology, and creative experimentation. Selected choreographers will present their work, followed by audience discussion, and we encourage lecture demonstrations formats. Notably, select presentations may be invited for online publication in the HKAPA official journal, PA:PER, following video editing for the conference proceedings.
Important Dates:
- Submission Deadline
21 February 2025
- Results Notification:
14 March 2025
Membership Requirement
Selected individuals or groups presenting at the Dance Conference & DanceTECH Research Showcase during the SWEAT Hong Kong International Dance Workshop Festival 2025 must be members of the World Dance Alliance Asia-Pacific (WDAAP). The membership status of selected applicants will be reviewed. The annual chapter membership fee can be paid via bank wire transfer or onsite at SWEAT 2025.
Please note that membership in any WDAAP chapter is also accepted. For more information about WDA Asia-Pacific membership, please visit this page. To view the current list of chapters, please visit this link and select a chapter to join.
SWEAT Hong Kong International Dance Workshop Festival (SWEAT) is set to return in 2025, building on the success of its inaugural edition in 2022. Launched by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first festival provided a vital digital platform for artists to connect, share best practices, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Over two weeks, SWEAT brought together 640 arts practitioners from 23 countries through research labs, workshops, masterclasses, dance video screenings, and open discussions, establishing itself as a hub for innovation and artistic exchange.
In 2025, SWEAT will focus on the theme ‘Cultural Sequences: Asia Pacific Choreographic Discovery’ to celebrate vibrant dance expressions that transcend geographic boundaries. The festival will feature four key events:
- Workshop Series
- Dance Conference
- DanceTECH Research Showcase
- Choreographic Projects Open Studio Presentations
These events will enable participants to tailor their experiences and enhance their practices and research ideas. In our increasingly interconnected world, understanding cultural expressions through dance is essential for celebrating diversity and fostering meaningful collaborations.
Join us at the HKAPA campus in Hong Kong as we continue to innovate, inspire, and connect within the global dance community!