CLOUD GATE DANCE THEATRE OF TAIWAN

Panorama Taiwan

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, founded in 1973 by choreographer Lin Hwai-min as the first contemporary dance company in any Chinese-speaking community, blends its roots in Asian mythology, folklore and aesthetics with a modern sensibility. Praised for reaching “back to ancient wisdom and ahead to future fruitfulness, with a cool, unforced yet insistent power” (The Washington Post), the company has made a significant impact on the international dance community.

As a child in the 1980s Cloud Gate Artistic Director CHENG Tsung-lung would contribute to the family business by helping his father sell slippers on the streets of Bangka/Wanhua, the oldest district of Taipei. Bangka/Wanhua was known for its vibrantly diverse and bustling street scene that embraced religious and secular life, rich and poor, work and play, legal and illegal activities. The young CHENG was transfixed by his mother’s accounts of the legendary 1960s street artist and storyteller known as “Thirteen Tongues” who had adopted Bangka/Wanhua for his informal stage. It was said that “Thirteen Tongues” could conjure up all the Bangka/Wanhua characters – high and low born, sacred and profane, men and women – in the most vivid, dramatic, and fluently imaginative narratives. Thirty years on CHENG’s fascination for “Thirteen Tongues” became his inspiration as he transformed his childhood memories into dance.

Choreography Cheng Tsung-lung / Music Lim Giong / Art design Ho Chia-hsing / Lighting design Shen Po-hung / Projection design Ethan Wang / Costume design Lin Bing-hao / Voice coach Tsai Pao-chang / Performers CHAN Pui-pui, CHEN Tsung-chiao, CHOU Chen-yeh, FAN Chia-hsuan, HSU Chih-hen, HUANG Lu-kai, HUANG Mei-ya, HUANG Po-kai, LEE Tzu-chun, SHAO Hsing-wen, WANG Chun-hung, WU Jui-ying, YEN Hsueh-hsin
Comission National Theater & Concert Hall, Taipei
This tour is made possible in part by grants from the Ministry of Culture R.O.C. (Taiwanese)