Look again, you may see a river

If there were an art form that Taiwan lacked, it would certainly not be experimental or avant-garde dance. Maybe this has something to do with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (雲門舞集), which under its founder Lin Hwai-min (林懷民) has become unquestionably the most widely traveled and critically acclaimed Taiwanese performing arts troupe.

Whatever it is, there's no shortage of small dance companies, of which White Dance Temple (白舞寺) is one which has been active since 2001 under the direction of You Shao-ching (游紹菁). According to You, he named the company after a Proustian moment of TV viewing that evoked memories of his grandmother. In that moment of clarity, he claims to have realized that white had connotations of purity, dance symbolized physical movement, while a temple was a refuge from the trials and tribulations of the world, hence White Dance Temple. If it sounds abstract that's the point.

The troupe's newest production Looking at the River (看天河) was named after a music piece by Lee Tai-hsiang (李泰祥) from 1979 and incorporates that music in the four-person choreography. Other sections are danced to traditional Taiwanese religious drums, while Taiwanese puppet -- theater dolls are employed as props.

These elements of Taiwan's cultural heritage create an overarching theme of personal and national identity, much as Cloud Gate frequently inspires in its productions, but to say so risks narrowing the thematic scope too tightly for a piece that is intended to delve into the larger realms of memory, imagination and the surreal.

Looking at the River will be performed tonight and tomorrow at Crown Theater, located at 50, Alley 120, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei (台北市敦化北路120巷50號). Shows start at 7:30pm and tickets cost NT$300, available at the door.