By Aaron Miller-
The Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) has teamed up with two heavyweights from film and jazz for a new dance drama called Kung Fu Artistry – Bruce Lee’s No Way as Way to celebrate the 85th birthday of legend Bruce Lee. The production aims to interpret Bruce Lee’s philosophy and spirit in martial arts through a dynamic fusion of different art forms, including martial arts, Chinese dance, and jazz elements.
The title refers to his personal martial arts philosophy, Jeet Kune Do’s core principle, “using no way as way”.
The show brings together renowned artistic talents, including Artistic Director Yang Yuntao, film art director Man Lim-chung, and celebrated jazz composer Patrick Lui.
Performers: The dancers are professionals who have undergone rigorous martial arts training for eight years to prepare for the show.
Themes: Beyond celebrating Lee’s life and kung fu style, the creators say the production reflects the complex, hybrid identity of Hong Kong itself and presents Lee’s philosophy as an inspiration for a new generation. The dance drama is scheduled to debut on November 27, 2025 (Bruce Lee’s actual birthday), and run until December 7 at the Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
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The show’s subtitle, “No Way as Way,” directly references the core tenet of Lee’s personal martial art, Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist). The philosophy emphasizes adaptability, fluidity, and discarding rigid styles or traditions to find one’s own path.
The “be water” principle encourages a state of being formless and shapeless, allowing one to adapt to any situation without rigidity:
Adaptability: Water takes the shape of any container it fills (cup, bottle, teapot). Water for Bruce Lee connotes a gentle stream or a powerful, crashing wave. It flows around obstacles rather than fighting them head-on. Bruce Lee conceived of the mind as being like water, “flowing” and not stopped by self-consciousness or preconceived notions.
Creative Collaboration
Bruce Lee died in 1973 and his estate is currently run by his mother Linda and daughter Shannon Lee was a great dancer and was crowned the Crown Colony Cha-Cha champion in Hong Kong in 1958. Yang Yuntao, choreographer and the HKDC artistic director said his primary inspiration came from Lee’s handwritten letters, which reveal how the martial artist – who coined the phrase “Be water, my friend” – embodied the changing forms of water to overcome personal and professional challenges.
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Yang also incorporated elements of Lee’s jeet kune do – the martial arts expression of his philosophy that uses minimal movements for maximum effect – and required dancers to channel Lee’s spirit as well as copy his movements.
Kung Fu Artistry – Bruce Lee’s No Way as Way is a fusion of martial arts, dance and jazz, reflecting the different tempos and dynamics of kung fu moves. Photo: HKDance
Kung Fu Artistry – Bruce Lee’s No Way as Way is a fusion of martial arts, dance and jazz, reflecting the different tempos and dynamics of kung fu moves. Photo: HKDance
“The continuity of movements can be achieved through a shift in the centre of gravity, which directly affects the use of the spine in simulating the permeability of water,” senior dancer Huang Haiyun says – and the result is a lot of improvisation.
Demonstrating the conviction of a fully-fledged disciple, Huang, who will play Lee, goes on to describe how he has devoted time every day to study Lee’s thinking, practising jeet kune do and reading his writing to live up to Lee’s transformative powers and authenticity.
“I want to achieve a natural expression in the performance rather than mechanical imitation. In contemporary society, especially in the context of globalisation and increasingly complex identity, Bruce Lee’s story can use the metaphor of dance to trigger the audience’s reflection on fulfilling one’s potential, cultural integration and social change,” he says.
Beyond the dance components, award-winning art director Man Lim-chung and jazz musician Patrick Lui bring their expertise to frame Lee’s legacy and the city he was raised in as parallel conduits between East and West.
Man, best known for his film work with directors such as Ann Hui On-wah and Wong Kar-wai, has given much thought to the costume design for dancers, on how the fabric accentuates the flow or rhythm of movement.
“During the design process, I wanted to reflect the introspection, contradictions and struggles within Bruce Lee’s ideological spirit. Of course, this has to be done while ensuring that the tailoring and material selection will assist in the display of kung fu movements, full of power yet intentional, as well as the large-scale, high-intensity physical performance required for the dance,” he says.
The unexpected choice of jazz will help present a stark, innovative contrast between martial arts and contemporary dance, Lui says.
“Jazz, Chinese dance and martial arts – it’s the pulse that gives each form its vitality. Just like in music, different kung fu movements have distinct tempos and dynamics, and that naturally inspires my writing.
“Bruce Lee believed in taking what is useful and not confining oneself to rigid styles or traditions. I approach music the same way. Rather than sticking strictly to definitions of jazz or Chinese music, I focus on what sound or feeling best expresses the moment. It’s about honesty and freedom – staying true to the music itself, just as Lee stayed true to his art.”
In the process of reinventing Lee’s philosophy as a “spiritual explorer”, Huang believes that the most profound emotional core lies in conveying his central concept of “infinite possibilities”.
Throughout Lee’s life, he constantly broke through the boundaries of race, culture, body and mind, he says.
“Everyone can be like Bruce Lee, through transformation, transcending external limitations and living their true self.”
“Kung Fu Artistry – Bruce Lee’s No Way as Way”, Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, November 27 to December 7.
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