Internationally acclaimed Taipei-based modern dance troupe, Tai Gu Tales Dance Theater (
Formed in 1988 by choreographer and one-time leading dancer for Lin Hwai-min's (
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAI GU TALES DANCE THEATER
Since the troupe debuted in the late 1980s with The Life of Mandala (
Many of the troupe's previous productions, which include The Back of Beyond (
The popularity of Tai Gu's performances has been attributed to Lin's dance philosophy. Regardless of the obscurity of the story line, Lin ensures that all of her productions enable audiences to connect mentally with the dancers' body movements in what she describes as "a unity of spirit."
For her latest production, Lin has chosen to blend a reworking of a 1981 Cloud Gate production with two of her own new works. Vivid, sensual and highly emotive, Pilgrimage II: Dream Nation is divided into three acts.
The audience is transported to contrasting dream-like landscapes that convey the simple message: If there really is a paradise, then it is in our hearts rather than in our psyches.
Entitled Phoenix Dance (
Aspects of our modern environment meet more classically oriented themes from antiquity. The performers movements often slow (and sometimes are almost stationary) when contemplation is required to explore and capture Dream Nation's many intimate and thought-provoking moments.
Performance notes:
What: The Tai Gu Tales Dance Theater
Where: Kaohsiung Fangshan Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
When: Tomorrow, 7:30pm
Tickets: Tickets cost from NT$300 to NT$1,000 and are available from ERA Ticketing outlets nationwide or direct from the venues.
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