Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan

"Traditional Hakka folk songs, drum compositions by Liang Chun-mei, works by Maki Ishii, Vincenzo Bellini, Camille Saint-Saëns, and Gustav Mahler. 'This company is addictive! With stunning beauty and immense expressiveness, the style of the Taiwanese Cloud Gate Dance Theatre is characterized by its return after thirteen years and numerous international awards to the Festspielhaus. A street and even an asteroid have been named after the celebrated ensemble in its homeland, and internationally, the dancers impress primarily through their artistic diversity, which encompasses ballet and modern dance, as well as Eastern martial arts, Qi Gong, meditation, and calligraphy. Somewhere around the village of Chihshang in the eastern rift valley of Taiwan: In the origin of the black 'Emperor’s Rice,' chemical fertilizers have been abandoned in favor of organic farming. It was here that the choreographer and founder of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Lin Hwai-min, traveled with his company to celebrate their 40th anniversary. In 'Rice,' the dancers incorporate the everyday movement patterns of the rice farmers they accompanied in the fields into their dance work, performing to traditional Hakka songs as well as works by Camille Saint-Saëns and Gustav Mahler. Video installations in the background reflect the life cycle of a rice field and illustrate a poignant work about death and rebirth, destruction and resurrection. 'Rice' is a co-commission by Wen C. Ko in collaboration with the National Performing Arts Center – National Theater & Concert Hall, Taiwan, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay Singapore, New Vision Arts Festival Hong Kong, Sadler’s Wells London, HELLERAU European Center for the Arts Dresden, and Théâtre de la Ville Paris. The tour was made possible through funding from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Lin Hwai-min, choreography and concept; Lin Keh-hua, stage; Lulu W. L. Lee, lighting design; Ethan Wang, projection design; Chang Hao-jan (Howell), video; Ann Yu Chien, costumes; Li-Ting Huang, costumes; Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, dance.

Image: © LIU Chen-hsiang"