DOG RISING

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Presented by French May Arts Festival, with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, Dog Rising will bring a stunning finale to the performing arts programmes of the 33rd French May Arts Festival from 26 to 28 June, 2026 at The Box, Freespace in WestK.

Montreal-based choreographer Clara Furey brings her internationally acclaimed production Dog Rising to Hong Kong for the very first time. After enthralling audiences across Europe and North America, this groundbreaking work arrives at Freespace, WestK, as one of the most anticipated highlights of the French May Arts Festival 2026.

With its celestial bodies launched into orbit, vibrating in a lustful and hypnotic ritual, Dog Rising mirrors the life cycle, the dynamic flow of matter. From primitive impulses to gestures that are at times sexual, at times mechanical, Clara Furey’s new creation comes together like a polyphony of pulsating bodies, in turns dissonant and in unison. The choreographer turns her attention to the way sound vibrations penetrate the bones, the way our skeletons absorb shocks, and listens closely to the presence of the body as it fully manifests itself.

On stage, the performers erect an architecture of pleasure. The trio is inhabited and nourished by empathy and acute attention to the energy of the body and to others. Through their tireless movement work, tensions are released in the endless repetition of cyclical gestures. Dog Rising invites us to embark on an extreme journey, a mesmerising, haunting, and penetrating spiral. It is an invitation to grow and regenerate physical strength through shocks and discomfort sublimated into joy, with a musical score by her loyal collaborator Twin Rising. Please note that a strobe light effect is used at the end of the show.

This Hong Kong premiere promises to be more than a dance performance — it is an invitation to experience movement and music as a living, breathing ritual. Dog Rising is set to captivate audiences with its unique blend of primal intensity and transcendent beauty, making it a must-see centerpiece of the French May Arts Festival.

Creative Team List
Concept and artistic direction: Clara Furey
Choreographed by: Clara Furey in association with Be Heintzman Hope, Brian Mendez, Winnie Ho
Performed by: Justin De Luna, Baco Lepage-Acosta, Brian Mendez
Rehearsal: Lucie Vigneault, Simon Portigal
Musical composition: Twin Rising
Lighting design: Karine Gauthier
Technical director: Darah Miah
Outside eye: Peter Jasko, Dana Michel, Christopher Willes, Caroline Monnet
Development: A Propic – Line Rousseau, Marion Gauvent

Produced by: Clara Furey
Executive producer: Parbleux
Co-produced by: Atelier de Paris – CDCN (France), CD Spectacles (Gaspé, Canada), Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans – Direction Maud le Pladec (France), Festival TransAmériques (Montréal, Canada), La Briqueterie – Centre de Développement Chorégraphique National du Val-de-Marne (Vitry-sur-Seine, France), La Rotonde (Québec, Canada), New Baltic Dance Festival (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Partners and support for creation: Parbleux (Montréal, Canada), L’Écart – Art Actuel (Rouyn-Noranda, Canada), Danse à la Carte (Montréal, Canada)
The creation of this work was made possible thanks to the financial support of: Conseil des Arts du Canada, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, Conseil des Arts de Montréal

With the support of: Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Dates and time:
2026-06-26 ~ 06-27 ( 8:00 PM )
2026-06-28 ( 3:00 PM )