The sixth edition of No Limits will be held from 24 February to 18 May, co-presented by the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Showcasing human perspectives through works addressing topical issues and problems faced by people in their everyday lives, the festival will feature performances and screenings conceived and performed by artists with disabilities from Hong Kong and around the world.

One of the highlights of the 2024 edition is Shape On Us, a striking work that re-examines social conventions and truisms surrounding the dancing body. Performed by leading contemporary dance company Vertigo Power of Balance and choreographed by renowned choreographer Sharon Fridman, Shape on Us will be held on 2 and 3 March at Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium.

Shape On Us, No Limits 2024 – Photo by Yoel Levy

Eight dancers with diverse bodies and physical abilities break away from their aids on stage, and a collective organism takes shape in the encounter between unique bodies. Exploring their individual fragilities and needs, the dancers share their experience of rejection, tension, support, loneliness and love. As the piece unfolds, disparate expressions merge to create an astoundingly tender collective language of touch, cooperation and compassion.

Shape on Us challenges taboos on how we look at different bodies. Powerfully embracing the delicate physical systems that transform involuntary movements into deliberate gestures, it questions our perception of what is considered natural and abnormal. The piece also highlights the infinite possibilities of each body, disabled or not, and the importance of dance as a vector for communication and communion.

Ahead of the performances, we had the chance to discuss with choreographer Sharon Fridman and with Tali Wertheim, Artistic and Company Manager of Vertigo Power of Balance. They shared with us the aim of Shape On Us, and explained their collaborating process with people with diverse bodies.

Sharon Fridman by Elad Debi

Sharon Fridman, is it the first time you choreograph a performance with disabled people? What makes it particular and what are the challenges? Did you work differently than with dancers without disabilities?

It’s not the first time I work with people with disabilities or people with physical diversity, but it’s the first time I make a performance with them.

The difference with working with people with disabilities lies in the communication I had with each dancer. I had to take a special time, the time each dancer, each body needs to deal with the task and to make the task his own, based on their body possibilities. Before teaching and rehearsing collectively, we needed that personal time to communicate and work with each dancer. Which we don’t need with dancers with similar bodies.

But I am also asking them to work in the same way as professional dancers. We do a lot of repetitions and they have to be really precise with their movements.

Tali Wertheim

Tali Wertheim, what is the aim of Vertigo Power of Balance? How do you choose the people for your performances?

Our aim is to give opportunity to everyone who wants to dance, move, and express themselves through body. For the past 7 years, our school brought people together, people with or without disabilities, of all ages. We also provide training and teaching classes. Most dancers in Shape on Us have graduated from our programme. We organised auditions with disabled and non-disabled people to choose the right cast.

Tali Wertheim, is there something particular with people with disabilities? Do they express their passion and emotion differently on stage?

We believe it doesn’t matter how a body can move, if it has disabilities or not. We are dealing with all kinds of bodies. Each one of us has a specialty. Each one of us knows his body best. With this knowledge, we can discover and amplify which aesthetic, which emotions, which character there is in each dancer. We are approaching everyone the same. We look for the best on anyone. The sky is the limit!

Shape On Us – Photo by Yoel Levy

Is it your first performance in Hong Kong? What are you excited about?

Tali Wertheim: It will be our first time in Hong Kong and we are very excited. Our aim, our “mission”, is to spread the idea that each body can dance. We have the opportunity to open the mind and consciousness of  people, and to share how to go beyond what we think are our limits.

Each place has his own culture, mind, consciousness, limits. We are all different but we can really meet through the body. Then magic happens, peace happens, compassion happens. We are very happy to share this with the Hong Kong audience.

Sharon Fridman: I have been in Hong Kong in 2019 for the performance Rizoma with the Hong Kong Arts Festival where we recruited 100 people willing to dance in Tai Kwun. I am very excited to come back to the city with my piece. So all this community of local people I worked with could come back and meet with this new creation!

Shape On Us

More details on the performance can be found here: Shape On Us

Tickets can be booked here: www.urbtix.hk/event-detail/11030

Schedule at Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium:
Saturday 2 March – 8pm
Sunday 3 March – 3pm

Audio description in Cantonese, house programme in audio format and extra wheelchair spaces available. Guide dogs welcome.