Septime Webre to direct Hong Kong Ballet

The Hong Kong Ballet recently announced the appointment of Septime Webre as its new Artistic Director. Well-known for his 17-year leadership of The Washington Ballet, Webre will keep his current position as the Artistic Director of Washington D.C.-based Halcyon as he moves to Hong Kong this summer. He’ll succeed Madeleine Onne, who has led Hong Kong Ballet since 2009.

Leading the ballet company into its 2017-18 Season, Webre will commence his term officially in July and the first production under his leadership will be the season-opening Don Quixote in August.

Of the appointment, Webre said, “Hong Kong Ballet has a long legacy both as an international powerhouse and as one of Asia’s boldest and most vibrant ballet companies. It is an honor to be leading such an exciting organization and I look forward to partnering with its superb artists, visionary board and outstanding staff, as we grow the company’s local impact as well as its global reputation.”

An internationally renowned choreographer, Webre is also known for creating many works which appear in the repertoires of ballet companies including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Colorado Ballet, Ballet West, Atlanta Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Memphis, Milwaukee Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, amongst many others.

He was selected after a long and intensive international search conducted by a specially formed Global Search Committee. Out of close to 70 applicants from around the world, Webre eventually emerged as the successful candidate.

“On behalf of my fellow board members, I am most pleased to welcome Septime to take up the artistic leadership of Hong Kong Ballet,” said Daisy Ho, Chair of the Global Search Committee and the Hong Kong Ballet Board of Governors. “We were most impressed by his artistic vision, international presence, choreographic prowess, leadership experience, as well as his great passion and energy during the search process. With the company’s vision and missions refocused in 2015, Hong Kong Ballet has taken an exciting new direction. With the solid artistic equity the company has established through the wonderful work by the previous Artistic Directors, the Board unequivocally conferred that Septime is the perfect candidate to open the next chapter of our very fine ballet company.”

Hong Kong Ballet’s 2017-18 Season was announced in mid-May. Highlights include the Asian premiere of Le Corsaire in November and Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush in May 2018, as well as the company’s first European Tour since 2009 in March 2018.

For more information on one of Hong Kong’s most prominent performing arts groups, visit www.hkballet.com.

Photos (top and left): Septime Webre. Photos by Dean Alexander. Photo (right): Hong Kong Ballet dancers Yang Ruiqi, Gao Ge, Liu Miaomiao, Chen Zhiyao, Dong Ruixue and Zhang Xuenign. Photo by Tim Wong.