A dynamic action shot of Hong Kong performer New Y-Kid (廖偉傑) captured mid-air as he leaps down a concrete outdoor staircase at night. Wearing a white t-shirt, grey trousers, and a flat cap, he is balanced on one foot, extending his arms wide with an energetic, joyous expression while holding a smartphone and wearing wired earphones. The industrial setting features bright overhead lighting, geometric red railings, and stark concrete steps, characteristic of the urban aesthetic often explored in Rooftop Productions' contemporary theatre works.

Rooftop Productions

Arts Tech

We Still Dance

Name: We Still Dance
Start: 2021-11-18T16:00:00.000Z
End: 2021-12-30T16:00:00.000Z
Location: Tsuen Wan

In a changing city landscape, what’s left to discover?

18 Nov – 30 Dec 2021

Tsuen Wan

Creative Team Gallery

City life is hectic. Every day, we rush from point A to point B without even pausing to look up. When did you last enjoy a slow walk, relishing every step and looking at every brick, noticing what lies beneath the city’s glitzy exterior?

Local art tech pioneers, Rooftop Productions, take you on a journey through Tsuen Wan with their app specifically devised for the district—Hong Kong’s first satellite town—traversing both time and space. Audio guides dig into fascinating details about urban development, retelling stories of the past. Dancers appear in the app as virtual guides, leading you to unexpected corners.

Discover a renewed relationship with the city as we uncover the hidden networks beneath the familiar surface, revealing the changing face of the neighbourhood through the decades.

表演者

Ivy Tsui

Main Dance Collaborator

In a rehearsal for Rooftop Productions' contemporary theatre piece 'We Still Dance' (舞照跳), actor Andrew Chan Xiyong stands in a bright, spacious studio, wearing a light sage-green kimono-style jacket over a white shirt and blue peacock-patterned trousers, as he looks toward his own reflection in a studio mirror. The scene captures a quiet, contemplative moment during the creative process. As he reflects on the movement, he vocalizes: 'A historical document, that doesn't carry any actual meaning'.

Chan Xiyong, Andrew

Collaborating Dancer

New Y-Kid

Collaborating Dancer

Lokin So

Collaborating Dancer

Two actors from the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'We Still Dance' (舞照跳) stand in a minimalist, utilitarian concrete corridor. Fiona Zhou, wearing a black t-shirt and glasses, stands on the left, while Michelle Li walks toward the center wearing a layered white cardigan over a black top. The scene captures a quiet, grounded moment of rehearsal or pre-show preparation, reflecting the show's exploration of artistic resilience. As one character contemplates the deeper reality, she remarks, 'Actual meaning.'

Fiona Zhou

Collaborating Dancer

Behind-the-scenes footage of the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'We Still Dance' (《舞照跳》). A film crew member uses a professional stabilizer to capture a scene between actors Cheung Tsz Kwan and Jerry Ip in a brick-paved urban plaza. The setting, framed by traditional bamboo scaffolding and closed commercial storefronts in Hong Kong, highlights the gritty, site-specific nature of Rooftop Productions' (天台製作) work. Nearby, Ivor Houlker observes the performance as the team collaborates on this artistic rehearsal. Filming behind the scenes.

Cheung Tsz Kwan

Collaborating Dancer

We Still Dance App

A dynamic silhouette of a contemporary dancer captured mid-air, leaping with one leg tucked and arms outstretched against a solid mint-green background. This evocative key visual for the 'We Still Dance' app highlights the athletic energy and raw expression central to Rooftop Productions' (天台製作) innovative approach to Hong Kong contemporary theatre and digital performance art.

We Still Dance

Discover a renewed relationship with the city through our app.

Welcome to We Still Dance. This app allows you to discover lost pieces of Hong Kong and its history, but you will have to walk around the streets to find them. There are currently several areas in Tsuen Wan that you can explore. Use this app to scan QR codes as you walk through the streets, to see what we have hidden there.

Currently unavailable

Arts Tech

A minimalist, high-contrast silhouette of a contemporary dancer captured mid-leap against a solid mint green background. The figure is captured in a dynamic pose that embodies the kinetic energy found in Rooftop Productions' contemporary theatre works. This graphic element is featured on the 'We still dance' app screen. 'We still dance'

A screenshot of the 'We Still Dance' (舞照跳) mobile app interface. The background features a dynamic, full-body shot of a contemporary dancer captured in mid-air, leaping gracefully down a set of stairs. The dancer wears a white t-shirt, grey trousers, and a flat cap, conveying a sense of artistic freedom and movement typical of Rooftop Productions' avant-garde stage work. The interface includes navigation icons for settings and history, alongside a main call-to-action button for the 'People and Dance' section. “We Still Dance – Seeing the city beyond the city, the city remains a city.”

Explore the city through movement with the We Still Dance app. “We Still Dance – Seeing the city beyond the city, the city remains a city.”

A screenshot of the 'We Still Dance' (舞照跳) mobile application interface, showcasing a list of audio segments from an interview with 'Manager Chen'. The list displays chronological entries titled 'Manager Chen - One' through 'Manager Chen - Five', followed by 'Jewel Woman - One', with topics including 'Immigration/Labor', 'Chinese Dye Factory', 'Vertical Production Structure', 'Environmental Protection', 'Identity Shift', and 'Borrowing ID'. Each entry is marked as 'Unheard' and includes a playback button, highlighting the interactive, documentary-style digital experience of Rooftop Productions' (天台製作) latest theatre work. We Still Dance app screenshot.

Explore the layers of labour history through the interactive We Still Dance app interface.

A smartphone app interface screenshot showing a digital map of the Tsuen Wan area, featuring a pop-up window for the 'Tsuen Wan Footbridge System Development', which serves as the interactive backdrop for Rooftop Productions' immersive contemporary theatre project, 'We Still Dance'. We Still Dance app screenshot.

Exploring the immersive interface of the We Still Dance mobile app, which transforms the Tsuen Wan footbridge network into a stage.

A low-angle, wide-lens screenshot from the We Still Dance app, showing three performers from the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 《舞照跳》 looking down into the camera from a bright, circular architectural structure. The composition emphasizes the performers' connection to the stage space, capturing a moment of artistic intimacy typical of Rooftop Productions' immersive works. We Still Dance app screenshot.

Experience the unique perspective of our immersive production through the We Still Dance app interface.

A mobile app interface screenshot for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'We Still Dance' (《舞照跳》) by Rooftop Productions (天台製作). The screen displays a Google Maps-style navigation view showing a cluster of performance locations marked with numeric icons across Tsuen Wan, suggesting an immersive or site-specific theatrical experience. 'We Still Dance app screenshot.'

Explore the immersive world of We Still Dance via our site-specific mobile app interface. We Still Dance app screenshot.

A screenshot of the 'Settings' page within the We Still Dance mobile app, developed by the Hong Kong contemporary theatre company Rooftop Productions. The interface features options for selecting subtitle languages, a download manager to store media content for offline viewing, an option to clear all downloaded files (currently occupying 44.1 MB), and a button to clear browsing history. This app is designed to enhance the audience's experience by allowing them to collect fragments and unlock historical archives and dance recordings related to the production. We Still Dance app screenshot.

Users can tailor their engagement with the performance by managing subtitles and offline archives within the We Still Dance app.

Creative and Production Team

Directors	Ivor Houlker, Michelle Li
Writer	Michelle Li
Sound Arts and Design	Lau Hiu Kong, Lawrence
Main Dance Collaborator	Ivy Tsui
Dance Rehearsal Master	Jennifer Mok
Collaborating Dancers	Chan Xiyong, Andrew, Cheung Tsz Kwan, Fiona Zhou, Lokin So, New Y-Kid
Dance Video Production	Polygon Lab
Promotion Photographer	Ivor Houlker

Acknowledgement: Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Gallery

A widescreen documentary video thumbnail for the RTHK The Works episode 'We Still Dance', featuring two young theatre practitioners from Rooftop Productions (天台製作). They are standing outdoors against a blurred, leafy background, both wearing light-colored medical masks. The person on the left has grey, wavy hair and holds a smartphone, while looking toward the person on the right, who wears glasses and has their hair tied back. The lighting is soft and natural, emphasizing a contemplative, collaborative mood common in site-specific Hong Kong contemporary theatre research. The image includes the text overlay: 'there’s still a wall left there, or a building left there.' The image includes the quote: 'Rooftops, particularly those in old buildings or Tong Lau have long played an important role in Hong Kong’s culture. In the past they were used for schools, as sites of illicit residential huts, as well as venues to simply hang out, barbeque, or dry laundry. The ubiquity and versatility of Hong Kong’s low-rise rooftops provided the inspiration for two young theatre practitioners to name their own theatre group “Rooftop Productions”.'

Jennifer Mok, a performer from Rooftop Productions, is seen during a rehearsal for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'We Still Dance'. She is wearing a blue long-sleeved top and a matching blue face mask, gesturing with her hands while standing in front of a shelf filled with golden trophies, reflecting the dedication behind her craft. As she shares her background, she recalls, 'I started ballet when I was very young.'

Jennifer Mok's Ballet Journey

In a rehearsal for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'We Still Dance', performer Chan Xi-yong moves dynamically across the studio floor, wearing a light jacket over a white tee and patterned trousers, with another dancer captured in motion in the background. The scene reflects the raw energy of modern dance practice in Hong Kong. Chan Xi-yong says, "My name is Chan Xi-yong."

Chan Xi-yong's Dynamic Rehearsal Moment

Lokin So: The Fung Keong Nostalgia

In a bright, spacious rehearsal studio, actor Liu Wai-kit (New Y-Kid) wears a black cap and face mask, looking thoughtfully towards the side during a rehearsal for the Rooftop Productions (天台製作) contemporary theatre show, 'We Still Dance'. In the background, another performer walks across the floor filled with colorful exercise balls, highlighting the kinetic energy of this Hong Kong stage production. As the performer reflects on the era of industrial growth, he says, 'In the 60s, there were a lot of factories.'

New Y-Kid Reflects on Industrial Hong Kong

A performer in a rehearsal for the contemporary Hong Kong theatre production 'We Still Dance' (《舞照跳》) walks across the studio stage. Wearing a simple blue t-shirt, dark trousers, and a patterned face mask, she moves with focused expression and deliberate posture, capturing the earnest essence of contemporary dance theatre. As she moves, she reflects on the era: 'In the 50s to 70s, the city was being developed.'

We Still Dance: Urban Development Exploration

Andrew Chan in We Still Dance

Finding Actual Meaning in Rehearsal

In a rehearsal for Rooftop Productions' contemporary dance performance 'We Still Dance' (舞照跳), actors Chan Xiyong and Jennifer Mok are captured in a candid, outdoor moment. Standing against a mosaic-tiled wall with a metal ladder, Chan Xiyong, wearing a light jacket and shorts, looks down at Jennifer Mok, who is crouched on the brick pavement. The scene reflects the experimental spirit of Hong Kong theatre, exploring themes of movement and presence. 'Time'

We Still Dance: The Time Exploration

A street-level view of a bustling, narrow urban street in Hong Kong with tall, aged residential buildings on both sides, setting an evocative, cinematic scene for Rooftop Productions' contemporary theatre piece 'We Still Dance'. Pedestrians walk across the intersection under a cloudy sky, capturing the raw, rhythmic atmosphere of daily life that reflects the themes of the performance. 'Fade away.'

Urban Rhythms in We Still Dance

A street-level perspective of a Hong Kong intersection framed by vibrant magenta bougainvillea flowers, captured during a rehearsal for the Rooftop Productions contemporary theatre show 'We Still Dance'. Pedestrians walk near a minibus as the urban landscape blends with nature, reflecting the production's exploration of city life. Actors Chan Xiyong and Jennifer Mok embody the show's spirit, as the performer says: 'Xi-yong carries the meaning of hope and merge.'

Hope and Merge: We Still Dance Rehearsal

Capturing Urban Rhythms in We Still Dance

In a rehearsal for Rooftop Productions' contemporary theatre piece 'We Still Dance' (舞照跳), actors Chan Xiyong, Jennifer Mok, and Jerry Ip stand on a pedestrian footbridge in Hong Kong. They are observing the urban landscape beyond a railing adorned with vibrant bougainvillea, capturing a reflective moment that explores the theme of 'History'.

We Still Dance: Reflecting on History

Three performers from Rooftop Productions, including Jerry Ip, Jennifer Mok, and Lokin So, stand on a pier looking out over the Hong Kong harbor at sunset, preparing for their contemporary dance performance 'We Still Dance'. The silhouettes of the actors against the dramatic orange and blue sky evoke a sense of quiet contemplation and artistic resilience, reflecting the themes of the production. As one performer looks towards the horizon, they whisper, 'Hope'.

Sunset Reflections for We Still Dance

Gallery

關於藝術家

了解參與製作的每一位藝術家

Ivor Houlker

Ivor Houlker is a multidisciplinary theatre artist and founder of Rooftop Productions, specializing in devising, digital tech, and live music.

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Director

Promotion Photographer

Michelle Li

Michelle Li is a Hong Kong-based interdisciplinary performer and founder of Rooftop Productions. She creates award-winning site-specific, devised theatre.

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Director

Writer

Lau Hiu Kong, Lawrence

Hong Kong-based composer and sound artist Lawrence Lau Hiu Kong merges music, audiovisual installation, and live performance to explore sonic expression.

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Sound Arts and Design