Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan 45th anniversary Gala will most certainly be a historical event for the dance books, dance aficionados, and new dance audiences. Tickets are nearly sold out, and the chatter around town is one of excitement, admiration and anticipation. For this gala performance, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre will showcase excerpts from nine iconic works from artistic director Lin Hwai-min, before he steps down to hand over the company to Cheng Tsung-lung, currently artistic director of Cloud Gate 2.
Cloud Gate has been in the business of making dance for over 45 years, with a unique signature dance style drawing on the techniques and aesthetics of martial arts, calligraphy, qigong, ballet and modern dance. An international dance company esteemed worldwide; they have recently been awarded the Stef Stefanou Award for Outstanding Company at the annual Critic’s Circle National Dance Awards, UK. The latter joins a long list of medals and awards given in the last few decades worldwide.
It is difficult to compare the company to any other dance group because of its rich cultural context, international outreach from Taiwan to the world and distinct choreographic point of view developed over the last four decades.
The company creates these performance situations where the audience is invited to dive-deep in the choreography as well as on themselves – revealing the beauty in the simplest swing of an arm with a weightless feeling of someone who woke up walking in the clouds, wondering in limbo.
Set against beautiful projections of calligraphy or sometimes landscapes and accompanied by soothing music the dancers seem to dance the past, present and future in one single scene. The awareness of time dissipates in a landscape of never-ending movement that will take your breath away.
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan 45th Anniversary Gala Programme — Lin Hwai-min: A Retrospective at Esplanade Theatres on the Bay 3 & 4 May.
This post is sponsored by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.