Cover From left: Gouta Seki and Wang Qingxin in ‘On The Other Earth’ (2025) by Sir Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet (Photo: courtesy of Ravi Deepres)
From left: Gouta Seki and Wang Qingxin in ‘On The Other Earth’ (2025) by Sir Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet (Photo: courtesy of Ravi Deepres)
1 / 1
At Biennale Danza, the Hong Kong Ballet traded the proscenium for a 360-degree LED dreamscape in a groundbreaking collaboration with Wayne McGregor and Hong Kong Baptist University—merging ballet, AI and immersive cinema into a performance not just for watching, but inhabiting.
Hong Kong Ballet has never shied away from risk, but its latest venture, Wayne McGregor: On The Other Earth, is a breathtaking leap into uncharted territory. Premiering at Biennale Danza—the 19th International Festival of Contemporary Dance of La Biennale di Venezia—from July 25 to August 2, 2025, the avant-garde choreographic installation blurred the boundaries between performance, technology and immersive art.
The work unfolds within the nVis installation, which is a panoramic, 360-degree, 12K LED cylindrical screen developed by Professor Jeffrey Shaw and Professor Sarah Kenderdine at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). Funded by the Hong Kong government’s Innovation and Technology Commission under the HK$35.4 million (US$4.5 million) “Future Cinema Systems” project, the system immerses audiences in a hyperreal environment where dancers from Company Wayne McGregor and Hong Kong Ballet appear to exist in another dimension.
Don’t miss: How Hong Kong Ballet started with 5 dancers and became a cultural icon along the way
Above ‘On The Other Earth’ (2025) by Sir Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet (Photo: courtesy of Ravi Deepres and Luke Unsworth)
‘On The Other Earth’ (2025) by Sir Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet (Photo: courtesy of Ravi Deepres and Luke Unsworth)
1 / 1
Far from a mere digital backdrop, this is a new performance medium. Choreography, spatialised sound, artificial intelligence and photorealistic imagery converge into an evolving visual language. Under the vision of Sir Wayne McGregor, British choreographer and the resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet, ballet and contemporary dance are refracted into something cinematic yet rooted in the physicality and artistry of live performance.
Following its debut, On The Other Earth will be showcased in “The Best of” section at Venice Immersive, the XR segment of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival from August 27 to September 6, before heading to the UK in October and to Tai Kwun in Hong Kong in 2026. The project underscores Hong Kong’s ambitions as a leader in art-tech, presenting the city as a hub for global creative innovation.
Above ‘On The Other Earth’ (2025) by Sir Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet (Photo: courtesy of Ravi Deepres and Luke Unsworth)
‘On The Other Earth’ (2025) by Sir Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet (Photo: courtesy of Ravi Deepres and Luke Unsworth)
1 / 1
A pre-premiere reception, themed Pulse of the Pearl: Transcending Avant-Garde with Technology and Knowledge Transfer, brought together McGregor, Hong Kong Ballet’s artistic director Septime Webre and HKBU leaders to discuss the intersections of art, technology and cultural diplomacy. Speakers highlighted Hong Kong’s role as an “East-meets-West” cultural centre, capable of generating original forms that resonate globally.
This ambitious production unites the artistry of Hong Kong Ballet’s dancers with McGregor’s celebrated company, powered by HKBU’s cutting-edge research. The result is an immersive environment that challenges how audiences perceive dance itself.
On the Other Earth is more than a performance—it is a statement. That dance can thrive beyond the stage. That technology can amplify, not replace, human movement. And that Hong Kong, poised between tradition and innovation, is ready to help define the future of performance.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
