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

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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Daniel Yeung (left) is wired up for a rehearsal of Freespace Dance-exhibitionist, a nude dance work he will perform in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. Photo: Hoi Chiu

Natasha Rogai

Published: 3:15pm, 18 Nov 2024Updated: 3:49pm, 18 Nov 2024

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.

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 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?