HKAPA

Known as “First Class Choreographer” on the Mainland, Mr Jiang Huaxuan is recognised by the Nation’s State Council as “An Outstanding Person Contributing to the Cultural and Artistic Development of China”. His remarkable achievements in dance, choreography, and dance education on the Mainland and Hong Kong have earned him nationwide acclaim.

Professionally trained at Beijing Dance Institute (now Beijing Dance Academy) for seven years, Mr Jiang started out as a teacher and choreographer at his alma mater after graduating in 1963, later joining Television Corporation of Singapore as a choreographer. In 1985, Mr Jiang was the first Chinese artist sent to study modern dance at the American Dance Festival by the Chinese government.

A tireless choreographer, Mr Jiang created many award-winning works, including Unbreakable String, which won the Gold Medal in the Artistic Creation Awards for the Celebration of the 30^th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China; A Wedding at the Execution Ground, which won Gold at the People's Liberation Army Artistic Creation Awards; The Flowing Sea, which won the Grand Prize in Prague 2000; and The Neighing War-horses, which was named one of the Chinese Classics of the 20^th Century. As an active member of the Chinese dance scene, Mr Jiang has held a number of positions over the years, such as Executive Board Member of the Chinese Dancers’ Association, panel member of judges for Senior Ranking Officers of the Military Forces (Performing Arts), Director of the Hong Kong International Chinese Dance Federation, and Advisor to the Guangdong Modern Dance Company.

Mr Jiang’s association with Hong Kong began over 30 years ago, when he choreographed The Three Inch Bound Feet & Others and A New Rendition of Chinese Folkloric Dances for the Hong Kong Dance Company in 1989 and 1992 respectively. In 1996, Mr Jiang joined the Company as Assistant Artistic Director, becoming its Artistic Director from 1998 to 2004. During his tenure, he added several masterpieces to its repertoire, including the full-length dance dramas The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West – The Monkey King Thrice Beats the Bony Ghost, Journey to the West - The Monkey King at Mount Inferno, Ju Dou and Yellow Earth Yellow River. Under his leadership and through his artistic contributions, the Company established a first-class reputation locally and globally.

A long-time supporter of the School of Dance of the Academy, Mr Jiang has generously provided Dance students with the opportunity to perform his works in the past two decades, allowing students to test their limits and deepen their understanding of the development of Chinese dance. The School is also grateful to Mr Jiang for his dedication to nurturing next generation dance artists by sharing his insights through his roles as Accreditation Panel Member, Advisory Committee Member and External Examiner of the School.