Remembering Lau Siu-ming, pioneering Hong Kong dancer and revered actor
From wartime refugee to classically trained dancer to on-screen villain, Ming Sir’s artistry and mentorship have shaped generations of actors
His story – from war refugee to classically trained dancer, and from stage to silver screen – is all the more remarkable because his career was built not on youthful leading-man looks but on artistry, physical precision and a mentoring spirit that shaped generations of actors who followed.
Lau’s artistic journey is one of reinvention, shaped by a childhood that might have broken a lesser spirit. Born in Hong Kong in 1931, Lau was 10 when Japanese forces invaded and occupied the colony, and spent his teenage years as a refugee on the mainland.
A journey to Europe and back
Determined to study dance in France, he took a job working in the cargo hold of an ocean liner to pay his way to Europe. His talent and perseverance earned him a scholarship to the Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower in France in the early 1960s.