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Lords and ladies of the dance

By Gavin Phipps
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Mar 12, 2004, Page 17

Cloud Gate dancers rehearse Bamboo Dream at a press conference yesterday to promote a series of performances starting tonight, before moving to Taichung and Kaohsiung. PHOTOS: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

Taiwan's famed dance troupe, Cloud Gate (雲門舞集) will be returning to the local stage this weekend when choreographer Lin Hwai-min (林懷民) and his troupe join forces with the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團) to perform Bamboo Dream (竹夢) at the National Theatre (國家戲劇院), before taking its show on the road to Taichung and Kaohsiung early next month.

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."

Divided into seven scenes, Bamboo Dream evokes imagery not only of the four seasons, but also touches on weather conditions and moods evoked by the seasons. The dancers portray these moods through sensual choreographic compositions inspired by tai chi, European dance and classical ballet.

"The movements are very sensual and I'd say erotic, but not exotic. There's no linear storyline to the production. It is open to individual interpretation," Lin said. "I have created food for the eye, something soothing at election time when its is very hectic and chaotic."

Performance notes:
Where: Cloud Gate and the National Symphony Orchestra will perform Bamboo Dream at the National Theatre (國家戲劇院) from this evening, Friday, March 12 through Friday, March 19.

Where: All performances begin at 7:45pm with the exception of Sunday, March 14, when the performance begins at 4pm.

Where else: On April 17 and April 18 Cloud Gate will perform Bamboo Dream at Taichung's Chungshan Hall (台中中山堂). Performances begin at 7:30pm on April 17 and at 2pm on April 18.

Cloud Gate moves to Kaohsiung on April 23 and April 24, when it will perform Bamboo Dream at the Chih-Der Hall (高雄市立中正文化中心至德堂). Performances begin at 7:30pm on April 23 and at 2:30pm on April 14.

Cost: Tickets for Taipei performances cost between NT$400 and NT$2,000 and are available direct from the CKS Cultural Center Box Office. Tickets for Taichung and Kaohsiung performances cost from NT$300 to NT$1,500 and are available direct from the box offices of both venues. Tickets for all performances are available from Acer Ticketing Outlets nationwide.

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