Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan
A Distinct and Mature Chinese Choreographic Language:
Cloud Gate’s Moon Water
Topped the list of the best dances in 2003, selected by the chief critic Anna Kisselgoff of The New York times, Moon Water has been presented by festivals and venues all over the world, receiving rave acclaims since its premiere in 1998.
To the Chinese, Moon Water, or Shui Yuei in Chinese, is a metaphor of two things. One is a Buddhist proverb: “Flowers in a mirror and moon on the water are both illusory.” The other describes the ideal state of Tai Chi practitioners: “Energy flows as water, while the spirit shines as the moon”
The Choreographer LIN Hwai-min takes these famous quotes as a springboard to create a poetic rendering of the Taoist philosophy. It is a study of the real vs. the unreal, effort vs. effortlessness, Yin and Yang, and in the end, a study of time.
The most surprising element of Moon Water is its choice of music. LIN Hwai-min syncretises this contemporary work to J.S. Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello recorded by Russian cellist Mischa Maisky. Ballet International marvels that “Bach’s cello suites and LIN’s Tai Chi blend together as if they had waited for each other for hundreds of years.”
Performance Dates:
Fri, 2/05/2010 at 8:00 pm
Sat, 2/06/2010 at 8:00 pm
Venue Location:
Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Hamilton Street at West Georgia, Vancouver)
Show: Moon Water