Cathay Financial Holding has been one of the main corporate supporters of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (雲門舞集) for more two decades, both the summer outdoor performances as part of its Cathay Arts Festival since 1996, and since 2001, Cloud Gate 2’s (雲門 2) school shows and residencies.
Now that the two troupes are one, as of Aug. 1, under the name the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Cathay is underwriting a new tour by the dancers of what used to be the second company that will see them perform in some unusual spaces.
Cheng Tsung-lung (鄭宗龍), who will succeed Cloud Gate founder Lin Hwai-min (林懷民) on Jan. 1, is interested in creating more organic interactions between dancers and their audiences by breaking down the barriers between the stage and viewers. One way of doing this is by performing in non-conventional spaces.
Photo courtesy of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre
People in Yilan County were able to catch a glimpse of this in June, when Cheng teamed up with film director Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮) for The Dune (沙丘漫舞) at the Zhuangwei Dune Visitor Center (壯圍沙丘旅遊服務園區).
Starting this weekend, the Cathay Arts Festival — Community Tour will see Cloud Gate perform at five locations ranging from art museums to a county government hall to a university gymnasium.
While Cheng choreographed the 70-minute show, it will change a bit in each location, not only to fit the dimensions of the space, but through the dancers’ interactions with the audiences.
The shows are free, but some require a reservation, which can be made through the tour’s Web site: www.cathaypublic.com.tw/cloudgate_tour.
■ Tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm, Yingge Ceramics Museum (鶯歌陶瓷博物館), 200 Wenhua Rd, New Taipei City (新北市文化路200號)
■ Saturday and Sunday next week at 2:30pm at the gymnasium of National Penghu University of Science & Technology (國立澎湖科技大學), 300 Liuhe Rd, Magong City, Penghu County (澎湖縣馬公市六合路300號); registration required
■ Nov. 23 and 24 at 2:30pm at Changhua County Hall (彰化縣政府大廳 ), 416 Zhongshan Rd Sec. 2, Changhua City, Changhua County (彰化縣彰化市中山路二段 416 號); registration required
■ Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at 2:30pm at Tainan City Art Museum Building 2 (臺南市美術館2館), 1 Zhongyi Rd Sec. 2, West Central District, Tainan (台南市中西區中一路二段1號)
■ Dec. 7 and 8 at 2:30pm at Hualien City Museum of Fine Arts (花蓮縣文化局美術館), 6 Wen-fu Rd, Hualien City (花蓮市文復路6號); registration required
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