Taiwan's famed dance troupe, Cloud Gate (
Written and first staged in 2001, Lin's Bamboo Dream is rated as one of his best, most inspiring and picturesque works. A technical and philosophical masterpiece that premiered three years ago, Lin has not only revitalized the work, but has added a live orchestra for the first time.
"When we first staged [Bamboo Dream] we had the music on CD. When the music is on CD it is stable and never changes, which for the dancers is good as the music never alters and they know what is going to happen," Lin said. "With a live orchestra the music is here and there so to speak. It's never the same and it creates energy, which is the key to creating an intimacy between movement and music."
Helping to create this intimacy will be the National Symphony Orchestra, which, with the help of a lone flutist, will be performing music written by Estonian neo-classical composer Arvo Part, who is a composer Lin has "loved for many years."
"His music is very lyrical and really beautiful and possesses good rhythm. And as the work is non-
narrative the music is an essential part of the performance," Lin said.
Formed in 1973, Cloud Gate was the first contemporary dance troupe to be established in Greater China. Taking its name from a legendary dance that, according to scholars dates back 5,000 years and is the oldest-known dance in China, the troupe broke new ground and shocked traditionalists as it was one of the first troupes to employ both male and female modern dancers. Before Lin established the troupe, male contemporary dance was unheard of in Taiwan.
Since the early 1970s, the 25-member dance troupe's shock value has disappeared and Cloud Gate is now considered one of the world's leading contemporary groups, receiving rave reviews and admiration wherever it performs. It is recognized for its ground-breaking dance styles, in which performers combine aspects of tai chi, Chinese Opera, modern western dance and ballet, in order to create eclectic works that transform myth, folklore and religious esthetics into vivid contemporary dance spectacles.
Some of the troupe's most recent performances include last years Legacy -- Revival, a reworking of Lin's debut masterpiece, Legacy, which was first staged on Dec. 16, 1978 -- the day the US severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing -- and raises questions through dance about Taiwan's identity. A year earlier Cloud Gate astounded audiences with the engaging and challenging, Smoke, a show that made use of a minimalist set and projections to lull audiences into a dream-like landscape.
For Lin's latest production, the choreographer has returned to employing lavish sets. Bamboo Dream sees Cloud Gate making full use of a set that depicts an abstract bamboo grove made of real bamboo.
"The set is not the grandest one we've ever used but it is the most interactive. The dancers interact with it and it becomes a non-static part of the performance through which the dancers are guided and which guides the dancers movements," Lin said. "It reflects nature, which has a soothing effect and possess dreamlike qualities with which we portray the four seasons."
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