We talk to renowned ballet dancer Linda Fung, who was one of Hong Kong's first Chinese ballerinas. An alumna of the Royal Ballet School in London as well as the Juilliard School in New York, Linda served as a principal dancer at the Hong Kong Ballet for many years and remains a prominent figure in the Hong Kong ballet scene. Looking at her credentials, few would guess that she had initially faced the disadvantage of having started her training at the relatively 'late' age of twelve. Even fewer could imagine that the seemingly effortlessly graceful Linda was once dismissed as being entirely the 'wrong' frame and build for ballet. Yet both these things are true. Linda's path through the world of ballet and eventually to the art of Tai Chi has been a very wiggly one.
In this episode Linda describes how she managed to build her career in dance despite her father's objections. She recounts the unexpected way motherhood led her to discover the way of life of Tai Chi, and how the philosophy of Tai Chi helped her navigate the grief of her husband's passing. Her reflections on dance and family, chinese philosophy and martial arts emphasise the importance of marrying mental health with physical health. We believe that Linda exemplifies the ability to achieve a balance of motion between the two.
Host and Co-creator: Barbara Shaw
Composer and Lead Audio Engineer: Justin Yau
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