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Natasha Rogai

So, will you be naked? “Yes. So boring! Again!” laughs Daniel Yeung Chun-kong.
One of Hong Kong’s most celebrated dance artists is returning to the stage from November 21-24 with a new edition of his legendary solo show, remembered as much for its groundbreaking use of multimedia as for Yeung being naked.
A trim, elfin figure, Yeung exudes positive energy, openness and fun. At 57, he remains as curious and fearless as he was when he first staged Dance Exhibitionist – a Paradise for Natural Body in 1999.
His latest adaptation of the work, called Freespace Dance-exhibitionist in reference to the Freespace venue at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District where it will be performed, continues the “Exhibitionist” series that has explored the relationship between Yeung and his body.

A previous adaptation was performed in 2011, wryly retitled Dan’s Exhibitionist. His duet with the 1999 version of himself, and a stunning sequence performed in the nude, were especially memorable.
So what made him revisit the work again now, and how has it – and he – changed?
The intention, Yeung says, is to do a new edition of the show every 12 or so years, in line with the repetition of the Chinese zodiac cycle.
He sees this encounter between his present and former self as a kind of therapy.
“You look back at the old you and you accept that what you like or don’t like has already happened in your body, in your experience, in your personal story. So to have dialogue with your past, to accept your past, is a therapy to accept yourself now or for your future,” he says, in between rehearsals.

While there was little difference between the Yeung of 1999 and 2011, this time the changes are more apparent.
“I am really older. I didn’t know [how much] I had changed till I rehearsed this work,” he says.
One thing that shows this is his face dance, a sequence in which he “dances” using movements of his eyes, nose and tongue.
“I thought it would be easy because I’d done it so many times. My movements were so sharp back then, and now I can’t catch the count any more,” he says.
But Yeung is not going to hide it. He plans to juxtapose the original video with the live performance so that the audience can see the contrast.
I can’t believe he’s 57. It’s crazy he’s doing that kind of movement.
Fellow dancer Hoi Chiu on Yeung
Facial muscles slowing down is one thing, but more importantly, Yeung suffered a dislocated vertebra more than a year ago which has left him unable to run, jump or even stand for any length of time. The injury has forced him to find alternative ways to dance.
Images of flight have always been a theme of Yeung’s work, and in 2015’s BiPolar Bodies he began incorporating Cirque du Soleil-style aerial work. In the coming production, he will be taking to the air for the entire show. “I will not set foot on the ground for a whole hour,” he says.
The Box at Freespace is Hong Kong’s biggest black box theatre, and Yeung is making maximum use of it. Suspended high above the audience, he will use the overhead grid and the main wall as his stage.
There will be no stage or seating. The audience will be provided with cushions and will sit or lie on the floor, with a few chairs for those who need them. Yeung feels watching a performance is about connecting your subconscious to what is happening. He loves how dance, unlike drama, is abstract.
“When the house lights dim, let’s all dream together,” he says.
The floor on which the audience will sit or lie will be covered by an enormous painting of a nude Yeung, measuring 33 metres by 15 metres (110ft by 50ft), by Hong Kong artist Hoi Chiu. “People will love it. I’ve never seen such a gigantic penis before!” Yeung says.

Hoi Chiu and Yeung have known each other for many years; Hoi Chiu used to perform in Yeung’s shows.
“He was the bravest one, willing to do all kinds of things,” Yeung says, recalling how Hoi Chiu once performed an entire piece hanging upside down from the balcony of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre.
Hoi Chiu gave up performing at 40 and is in awe of Yeung today. “I can’t believe he’s 57. It’s crazy he’s doing that kind of movement.”
Among the other members of the team are two young artists from Taiwan, video artist Huang Wei and composer Chuang Sheng-kai.
Technology has evolved dramatically since 2011 – “There are many more new toys nowadays,” Yeung remarks gleefully.
He says that in 1999, “people started to have low-budget digital cameras to make videos at home, and that triggered me to think even though I’m a soloist there are lots of possibilities when I start to work with video”.
The new performance will feature video and sound elements generated live with the aid of artificial intelligence, giving Yeung more flexibility to interact with them and keep the show evolving during performances.
His career has followed an unusual path. He graduated from Chinese University of Hong Kong with a major in fine arts and a minor in Chinese music, and began dancing at the unusually late age of 29.
I want Hong Kong to stay international, which is very important
Daniel Yeung
Yeung, who describes himself as a “self-taught” dancer, stood out immediately with his exceptional talent, winning scholarships to study choreography in London and the Netherlands.
His numerous accolades include the 2003 rising artist and 2013 best artist of the year (dance) awards from Hong Kong’s Arts Development Council (ADC).
He has also won seven Hong Kong Dance Awards, including the prestigious distinguished achievement award, in 2020. He was elected chair of the dance sector and vice-chairman of arts criticism at the ADC, serving in those roles from 2020 to 2022.
As well as dancing and creating choreography, Yeung has been an inspiration to numerous artists as a curator, mentor and critic both in and outside Hong Kong.
In 2017, he launched the Hong Kong Dance Exchange festival (HDX), part of a network of festivals bringing together artists across Asia.
“I want Hong Kong to stay international, which is very important.” Yeung says.
The fourth HDX will take place from December 18-22 at the Hong Kong Arts Centre, in Wan Chai. It will be attended by 17 directors of international festivals, theatres and competitions, giving the opportunity for Hong Kong choreographers to have their work presented overseas.

However, Yeung says it has not been easy finding suitably high-calibre Hong Kong pieces to showcase, with fewer opportunities for choreographers in the city than before.
He feels there is less focus in Hong Kong on nurturing professional dance artists, with resources shifting to community dance. As a case in point, it proved impossible to book any Leisure and Cultural Services Department venues for the festival, despite having government funding for the event.
Yeung believes the potential advantage of this is that it can force artists to find new resources and explore new possibilities. In the 1970s and 80s there was “a lot of underground art”, he says. “Maybe this is the time when underground art can happen again. I try to be positive.”
“Daniel Yeung: Freespace Dance-exhibitionist”, The Box, Freespace, Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District, Nov 21-23, 8pm, Nov 24, 3pm. Tickets available from Cityline.


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Yeung in an orange one-piece leotard during a rehearsal for Freespace Dance-exhibitionist, premiering on November 21, 2024 at the Freespace Dance 2024 festival in Hong Kong. Photo: Hoi Chiu

A scene from Daniel Yeung’s 2011 “Dan’s Exhibitionist”. Photo: LCSD

Wires are attached to Yeung’s body linking to a synchroniser made by Taiwanese multimedia artist Chuang Sheng-kai for a rehearsal of Freespace Dance-exhibitionist. During the show, the device will create sounds based on Yeung’s movements. Photo: Terry Tsang

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Yeung, 57, reflects on age catching up with him as he revisits exhibitionist solo dance work at Freespace in Hong Kong


Yeung, 57, reflects on age catching up with him as he revisits exhibitionist solo dance work at Freespace in Hong Kong.


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West Kowloon Cultural District

Daniel Yeung on reprising nude dance show in Hong Kong at 57, and how tech has changed it

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Yeung, 57, reflects on age catching up with him as he revisits exhibitionist solo dance work at Freespace in Hong Kong

Yeung, 57, reflects on age catching up with him as he revisits exhibitionist solo dance work at Freespace in Hong Kong