Sidelined for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Art Wave (黑潮藝術) is reviving its international ballet extravaganza this weekend. Eight dancers and three musicians will be performing works by renowned choreographers under the theme Love and Hope — much needed during these unsettling times.
Several performances are making their Asia premieres, including the show’s centerpiece, Selvportraet (self portrait). Choreographed by Paul Lightfoot, former artistic director of the Nederlands Dans Theater, and composed by Australian pianist Alexander McKenzie, the deeply personal work features three characters representing life, love and death. It draws inspiration from the Greek myth of the Moirai, the three goddesses who determine the destiny of a human by spinning a thread together.
“I wanted to use this metaphor as a mirror to hold onto all our lives during these strange and lonely times. Distant from each other, yet connected. A reflection on the beauty and pathos of our interwoven states. The stripping of one’s ego until we discover the resolution within the poetry of our fleeting existences,” Lightfoot says.
Photo courtesy of Art Wave
Of note is the return of performers Iana Salenko and Marian Walter of Staatsballett Berlin, who were part of Art Wave’s first ballet showcase in 2007. The duo are the only dancers from that show who are still active. They will present two pieces: Elegie de Herzen and Meditation/Thais, both of which will be shown in Taiwan for the first time.
■ Tomorrow at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm, Taipei Performing Arts Center Grand Theatre, 1 Jiantan Road, Taipei City (台北市劍潭路1號)
■ Remaining tickets range from NT$800 to NT$3,000, and can be purchased at www.opentix.life/event/1568613752767000578
Photo courtesy of Art Wave
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