Septime Webre Named to Hong Kong Post
By • June 6, 2017 0 374
A year after leaving the Washington Ballet — and a few months after launching the Halcyon Stage series — Septime Webre has been named artistic director of Hong Kong Ballet, effective July 3.
In April of 2016, shortly before he wrapped up a 17-year tenure as the Washington Ballet’s artistic director, Webre was the speaker in Georgetown Media Group’s Cultural Leadership Breakfast Series. “I’m ready for the next thing,” he said. “I want to concentrate on my work as a choreographer, a creator, and move on to work with other people — here, to be sure, but in Australia, in Istanbul, in Europe and other places.”
Eight thousand miles from D.C., Hong Kong is definitely another place. Webre will continue to serve as artistic director of the Georgetown-based nonprofit Halcyon, however, overseeing Halcyon Stage, its immersive, interdisciplinary arts programming. In June of 2018, Halcyon plans to present a “festival for creativity” in Washington, according to Webre, who is connected, meanwhile, to projects with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre and Wolf Trap Opera, among other companies.
At Hong Kong Ballet, Webre will succeed former Royal Swedish Ballet artistic director Madeleine Onne, who is taking up the directorship of Houston Ballet Academy. He was one of four finalists chosen from nearly 70 candidates.
In a June 6 “Dear Friends” email message, Webre wrote: “I’m thrilled to begin a new journey at the helm of this bold company of 50 dancers, with its truly glorious repertoire, visionary board and ace staff, in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. The company tours regularly to Asia, Europe and the US, so I hope to see you at a show in Hong Kong or on tour sometime in the coming seasons.”
The 2017-18 season of Hong Kong Ballet, which bills itself as “Asia’s premier ballet company,” will include the Asian premieres of the classic ballet “Le Corsaire” and Christopher Wheeldon’s 2003 work “Rush.” In March of 2018, the 38-year-old company will make its first European tour since 2009. All of its seven principal dancers and three of its five soloists are Chinese nationals; the other two soloists are from Sweden and Japan, respectively.
