About This Show
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan was the first contemporary dance company in any Chinese speaking community. The company are known for transforming ancient aesthetics into thrillingly original performances that draw on diverse disciplines; from chi kung and meditation to ballet and internal martial arts.Cloud Gate Artistic Director CHENG Tsung-lung first observed a lunar halo – a sparkling ring around the moon – in the sky over Iceland. The phenomenon is said to predict an impending storm and, on a deeper level, forebodes a time of considerable change. Working with the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, CHENG now explores the changes that are shaping our world today, particularly our increasing reliance on communicating through new technology. Performing to a hauntingly ethereal soundtrack, the dancers interact with each other – in pairs, groups, or as an ensemble – as well as with multiple large LED panels that are filled with fluidly moving shapes, colours, and images so that their sheer physicality highlights one of the essential questions of our age: if we can satisfy our needs and desires with just a few taps of a screen, what is the purpose of the human body?