Pa | Ethos

Synopsis

Moving Body, Expressive Soul

Borrowing from Aristotle's The Art of Rhetoric, Pa | Ethos combines the words Pathos and Ethos – passion and precision of character. Choreographer Sang Jijia uses them to signify two approaches to the subject discussed.

Using imagery from classical Italian sculpture, choreographer Sang Jijia translates Ethos and Pathos into dance. The first half looks at the rules of social life, where interpersonal relations are rigidly distributed; each movement in space is well-measured and carefully executed. In the second, emotions are translated into the physicality of the dancers; by taking stage action to its extreme, they achieve complete transparency of body, through which the soul is revealed in its entirety.

Photo credit (Hero Banner) : Carmen So 

About the Artist

City Contemporary Dance Company

City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) is Hong Kong's flagship contemporary dance company. With a legacy of over 200 original works, CCDC embodies the city's dynamic spirit through bold, imaginative, and boundary-pushing performances.

Under the artistic direction of Sang Jijia, the company continues to pursue excellence in contemporary dance, explore interdisciplinary collaborations, and foster international cultural exchange. Through worldwide tours and local festivals, CCDC showcases the strength of Hong Kong dance on the global stage while presenting the diversity of contemporary dance to local audiences.

Sang Jijia

Sang Jijia is the Artistic Director of City Contemporary Dance Company. An ethnic Tibetan, he received the Asian Cultural Council Scholarship to study in the US and was selected by the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative to study choreography under William Forsythe in Germany. During his time in Germany, he joined the Ballett Frankfurt and Forsythe Company as Assistant Choreographer and Dancer, respectively. In 2006, he returned to China and has since choreographed for CCDC and several international dance companies. He was appointed as the Resident Choreographer for CCDC from 2015 to 2024. In 2023, he was awarded the Honorary Fellowship by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In 2024, he was presented with the "Distinguished Achievement" award at the 25th Hong Kong Dance Awards and "Artist of the Year (Dance)" award at the 18th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards.

His recent choreographies with CCDC include Mr Blank 2.0, As If Snowing, Stream of Dust, Meeting In-between Time, Re-mark, and Pa | Ethos. Other cross-disciplinary creations and choreographic works include the dance video There is a Place, co-commissioned by CCDC and Dance Glasgow. In collaboration with Goat Media (Scotland), musician/composer Dickson Dee, and local tech company LazyAnt, he has created interactive installations that straddle dance and technology, including Hyperchoreography and the Mr Blank video and sound installation at 'On the Road 2023', Guan Shanyue Art Museum (Shenzhen).

Remarks

1. Free seating.
2. You are recommended to arrive 15 minutes before the event starts. Latecomers will be admitted at appropriate times.
3. Student Pass holders may queue on-site for available seats.
4. Programmes are subject to change without prior notice. HKPAX reserves the right to final decision regarding programme arrangements.