Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan in "Moon Water"

The festival will be opened on Tuesday 29th April by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, with a further performance the following evening.

I am very lucky as I've seen the company dance on their home stage at the National Theatre in Taipei many times. It's great to have them on what I think of as my home theatre for dance at last. "Moon Water" really is a great introduction to the company's style, which blends Eastern and Western dance forms, including tai-chi.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan is renowned for delivering spellbinding, spiritual performances which confidently blend Eastern and Western styles.

"Moon Water" features a stunning on-stage work of art created by water flooding the whole stage. The production is minimal and beautiful with simple circles of design and movement, identical white silk costumes for men and women, and a watery black set which opens up to a panoply of mirrors. Eventually the stage floor becomes a huge mirror reflecting not only dancing bodies but also the patterns of the white brush strokes of the set.

Set to movements from Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello, "Moon Water" is based on the eastern practice of Tai Chi Tao Yin, an ancient form of Chi Kung, which gives it a natural rhythm and a visible pulse from the energy of breathing which propel one action smoothly towards the next. The title Moon Water derives from the Buddhist proverb ’Flowers in a mirror and a moon on the water are both illusory’ and a description of the ideal state of a tai-chi practitioner ‘Energy flows as water, while the spirit shines as the moon’.

Post-performance talk

On Tuesday 29th April there will be a post-performance interview with Artistic Director Lin Hwai-min on stage.

School's workshop

The company are also holding a school's workshop on Monday 28th. I understand this is to be led by Lee Ching-chun, leading dancer with the company and Assistant Artistic Director. If you are one of those lucky enough to take part, let us know what you think!!

Tickets are available on 0870 730 1234 or online at http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com. Book on-line and the booking fee is only 3% (6% by phone). Performance times: 8pm

Here's a review by Holly Messitt from the company's visit to New York in 2003. Having seen "Moon Water" several times, I agree with every word she says.

http://www.criticaldance.com/reviews/2003/CloudGateTheatre20031121.html

There is a workshop for experienced dancers (which apparently means university undergraduate dance majors, 2nd year and above) at the DanceXchange on Monday morning, 28 April.

Contact dx for details.

I was lucky enough to catch "Moon Water" in London earlier this week. The review is posted in the main Cloud Gate forum. Just click on this link:

http://www.ballet-dance.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=193071#193071

I saw this in Birmingham last night. Quite beautiful. But how do they get bodies that are so soft yet so strong? They move so fluidly but then when they stop it's just like statues.

Even the water dripping on the stage from above didn't spoils things.

And a really interesting post-show discussion too.

I think they still have to go to Manchester and Milton Keynes. Go see them if you can.