NORFOLK, Va. — Virginia Arts Festival said the Hong Kong Ballet would not perform at Chrysler Hall in April as scheduled. The company postponed its visit to the United States because of the outbreak of the coronavirus which originated in Wuhan China.
A news release from Virginia Arts Festival included this statement from Hong Kong Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre:
As a global cultural ambassador for Hong Kong, the Company was really looking forward to performing for our American fans and are disappointed about postponing our April performances. However, we understand that the health and safety of our dancers and the general public comes first. We sincerely hope that Hong Kong and the rest of the world will recover soon and are committed to returning to Virginia as well as touring in other US cities in the coming seasons.
The company, which is considered one of Asia's premier ballet companies, was to perform ALICE (in wonderland) April 17 to 19 at Chrysler Hall.
Virginia Arts Festival wished the company's members well and said it would be issuing refunds automatically to ticket holders. Anyone with questions can contact people with the festival at 757.282.2822 on these days and at these times:
- Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More information can be found on the the Virginia Arts Festival's website.