As a surreal, high-concept literary masterpiece, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has always been fertile ground for adaptation, be it in film, theatre, or completely reimagined in other ways. For Hong Kong Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre, it’s the perfect material to take ballet to the next level, as ALICE (in wonderland) arrives at the Esplanade this month.

Originally choreographed for the Washington Ballet in 2012 (where Septime was also Artistic Director), ALICE (in wonderland) takes Carroll’s novel and uses it as a vehicle for creatively challenging its team, in that Septime imagined it not just as a family-friendly work, but also one that anyone from any background or experience could appreciate. “Back in 2012, I was primarily creating works for adults, but with ALICE, I wanted to stretch myself further, where a 28-year-old woman could bring her boyfriend and he’d fall in love with the production too,” says Septime. “Thus there are four stakeholders I think about: kids who we want to fall in love with the art form, young people discovering ballet for the first time, the dancers themselves, and the cynical ballet-goers who follow international companies and important repertoires. It should appeal to an experienced dancer, a cynic who may not watch things marketed for children, and just fall in love with ballet.”

“The story itself is fantastic because of its vivid, kinetic, and over-the-top characters, and I really wanted to incorporate a lot of Lewis Carroll’s stream-of-consciousness approach. We had huge ambitions both artistically and technically for such an exciting project, and I also wanted to have my dancers feel technically challenged, where they would come out stronger at the end of the production than at the beginning,” he adds. “The dances are really hard—each character’s choreography is virtuosic. The ballet succeeds as a contemporary work, with lots of pirouettes, double turns, complicated lifts, and technical challenges. Choreographers sometimes make the mistake of dumbing things down for audiences, but I do the opposite. I try to make the characters vivid, offering a grown-up experience with plenty to interest sophisticated dance-goers and kids alike.”

Thirteen years on, and ALICE remains mostly unchanged, owing to the astute planning made by Septime, where adapting and changing and editing segments as they went along helped ensure justice was done to the source material. “One example of novelty in the production was how I wrapped my own sense of storytelling around Alice’s strength of character, giving her a sense of danger and valour,” says Septime “In the book, the trial at the end is nonsensical, but I wanted it to make sense within the plot. So, during the croquet game, the Queen of Hearts gets so mad at Alice that she escapes into the forest. There, she meets Tweedledee and Tweedledum, but the Queen of Hearts sends the Jabberwocky after her. Alice ends up slaying the dragon to protect her friends, but then she’s put on trial for killing it. This plot point drives the action forward, and I developed all the characters around it to ensure it made sense. As much as ballet doesn’t need to follow the same conventions as theatre, where plot points aren’t usually as important to the emotional and kinetic qualities of the experience, I wanted the story to make sense, and for both the visuals and narrative to have equal importance.”

ALICE is also unabashedly fun, which Septime emphasises as he speaks about his collaboration process with composer Matthew Pierce that made it such a success. “The entire score is string-based, as Matthew composes on the violin, and he’s very classical, yet has a strong pop-sensibility, and we worked together to make each song period-appropriate with pop elements woven in, and had lots of fun referencing different styles of music,” says Septime. “Matthew and I worked over a six-month period to create the score together, where I gave strong input with my outline, and we tightened the storytelling to make it more efficient, while also developing the characters more thoroughly. For the Cheshire Cat for example, I wanted it to sound like purring, and like a hot, sweaty jazz number you might hear at 3 AM in a smoky club, while Tweedledee and Tweedledum’s theme sounds a bit like a funkadelic, disco-tinged theme song from a 1970s crime show—it’s very tongue-in-cheek.”

“A lot of the time we start with the character in mind, and a lot of steps are happening simultaneously in the design-process. Sometimes the reverse happens too; I was choreographing the Mad Hatter’s tea party before the music was written, and imagined the Mad Hatter as a cocky peacock—a vintage, rock-and-roll guy from the 70s or 80s,” he adds. “I thought about Freddie Mercury and Queen, and how one of my favourite tracks from my teenage years was Killer Queen, so I choreographed the solo to that song. After rehearsing it, I sent the track to Matthew and told him that he must use these rhythms, the structure, and tempo. He ended up creating something that sounds like New York Jewish Eastern European music filtered through a New York lens, complete with finger snapping, but rooted in the structure of Killer Queen, and you’ll be able to see the influences very clearly during the show.”

Considering how important visuals are in the original Alice in Wonderland, Septime was also working closely with his designers, namely costume designer Liz Vandal and set designer James Kronzer to make the impossible a reality. Expect plenty of illusions and puppets to better immerse audiences into this wild, colourful world. “I frequently work with Liz, and she’s based in Montreal and originally worked in fashion before designing for Cirque du Soleil. Her over-the-top sensibility pushed both of us creatively, but it was still a huge challenge – such as designing for the sheer number of interesting scenes and characters we wanted to portray onstage,” says Septime. “Our initial scenario included things like the Lobster Quadrille and the Walrus and the Carpenter, but doing it all would have tripled the budget. Like Coco Chanel said, “Before you leave the house, take one thing off”, and for us, the challenge was in editing things down, where we cut scores and rendered characters in different ways.”

“One standout set piece happens in the middle of Act II when Alice cries a pool of tears. In the book, there’s a caucus race with a lot of animals, but it would have been impractical to create sixteen bespoke costumes—it was too expensive. So, we had the idea to create a parody and homage to Swan Lake, where the Dodo leads a flock of flamingos, and the music ends up referencing Swan Lake,” adds Septime.

To date, ALICE has earned plenty of praise and accolades as a triumph of contemporary ballet, having been performed by about 10 to 12 companies worldwide. Septime isn’t precious about the show, and in fact, hopes that each company taking on the production adds their own unique touch to it. “For the shows that have been put up by other North America and Asian companies, each production is helmed by about five stagers, all former principal dancers who know the ballet inside out. These stagers maintain the high standards we set while ensuring the ballet remains fresh and adaptable. For example, when West Australian Ballet in Perth staged it this summer, the team of stagers went ahead to pass on their knowledge. They understand my vision and, in most cases, find a few days to coach the dancers directly,” says Septime.

“But the goal has never been for every dancer to perform the ballet in the same way. The structure remains, but the steps adapt, allowing every role to feel bespoke—tailored to the dancers’ individual strengths. The production staged in Singapore, for instance, will be different from the one performed in Hong Kong in 2021. Dancers evolve, new cast members come in, and returning artists bring greater depth and resonance to their roles. The ballet isn’t meant to be static; it’s designed to grow with the performers,” he adds.

Speaking about the move from Washington to Hong Kong, Septime also offers commentary about the differences between both countries. “One of the biggest advantages of working in Hong Kong is the level of government support for the arts. In Washington, DC, there’s a constant need to fundraise, as state funding is limited. While we do some fundraising in Hong Kong as well, the financial stability is much greater, allowing us to focus more on artistic development. And of course, I have to mention the food—Hong Kong’s food culture is unparalleled,” he says.

“But in some ways, working with dancers is the same everywhere—it’s always a glorious experience in the studio. When I moved to Hong Kong, I immediately felt at home there, just as I had in Washington, DC. I had already worked with many Asian dancers in DC, where the training is top-tier and the discipline is strong. Hong Kong Ballet, while an international company, has a significant number of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese dancers, so the level of training is incredibly high. The community was welcoming, and I felt comfortable right away.”

Reflecting back on his nine years as HK Ballet’s Artistic Director, Septime is happy with the progress made so far as the company edges ever closer to their long-term vision. “I’ve accomplished several major goals during my time with Hong Kong Ballet, but the work is never done. One of my key objectives was to elevate the company’s classical standards to an internationally recognized level. I wanted Hong Kong Ballet to be viewed as a world-class company, and I believe we’ve achieved that,” he says. “When I first took over as Artistic Director, Hong Kong Ballet was elegant and respected, but in my view, a old-fashioned. I say that with great affection, as I remain friends with all the previous directors, but I saw an opportunity to modernise the company while honouring its legacy. Hong Kong Ballet has long been one of Asia’s premier ballet companies, and my goal was to push it even further—to make it one of the most forward-thinking companies in the world.”

“A crucial part of that vision has been reflecting Hong Kong’s unique character. While we tour internationally with a traditional repertoire, we’ve also developed an entire suite of productions rooted in Hong Kong’s history and culture,” he adds. “We’ve done productions of The Nutcracker set in 1950s Hong Kong, Romeo and Juliet reimagined in 1960s Hong Kong, and several other Chinese and Hong Kong-themed works that have become essential to our identity. This approach has had a major impact on the company’s international profile and extremely popular—our Hong Kong Romeo and Juliet production sold out weeks in advance when we took it to New York in 2024.”

“Ultimately, the goal is to solidify Hong Kong Ballet’s identity—not just as a company that performs in Hong Kong, but as the Hong Kong Ballet, a company that is distinct, rooted in its city’s culture while maintaining international standards. And of course, we’re not stopping there. The next goal? Global dominance,” he concludes. “Above all, what remains consistent is how I always ask my dancers to embrace each production with unbridled joy, and for ALICE in particular, I hope they always go for broke. This is an over-the-top world, and I want them to live their best lives on stage, fully immersed in the moment, leaving everything they have on the floor. When dancers commit to that level of performance, the magic is undeniable.”

Photo Credit: Conrad Dy-Liacco (courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet)

ALICE (in wonderland) plays from 21st to 23rd February 2025 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets available here