Dreamy Dance

by Zhao Yue

He is known as one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th Century. His Cloud Gate Dance Theater is considered by many to be “Taiwans most important cultural export over the past two decades.” In Taiwan， he has become the cultural icon of a generation. The story of his establishment of Cloud Gate has even been written into Taiwans elementary school textbooks.

From late February to early March of this year， 66-year-old Lin Hwai-min brought Cloud Gate to Beijing to perform at the National Center for the Performing Arts （NCPA） for the third time. This time， he presented the classic， Nine Songs.

Nine Songs

Divided into eight chapters， the dance drama Nine Songs is inspired by a series of classical Chinese poems written by Qu Yuan some 2，300 years ago. However， Lin emphasizes that the dance is not meant to interpret Qu Yuans poetry. The first image on stage is a modern man dressed in a suit， carrying luggage and an umbrella. The appearance of characters such as this is meant to remind spectators that Nine Songs is not about ancient times， but the contemporary world. The performance is certainly not Nine Songs by Qu Yuan， but Cloud Gates original production.

A glistening lotus pond complemented by masked shamans highlights the set designed by Lee Ming-cho， one of the most celebrated designers in the United States. Music from India， Chinas Tibet， Indonesia， Japan and the indigenous people of Taiwan make Nine Songs a kaleidoscope of Asian cultures and aesthetics.

Nine Songs premiered in 1993 to mark Cloud Gates 20th anniversary. This year marks the theaters 40th anniversary. After the Chinese mainland tour kicked off at Beijings NCPA， it visited four more Chinese cities. Lin plans on taking the dance drama to London in 2014， but will probably stuff Nine Songs in a drawer afterwards. Two major factors contributed to his decision to shelf the show： Nine Songs complex sets and massive cast bring myriad headaches to the road when touring. Secondly， Lin believes that young dancers have a hard time grasping the situational imagination required to perform the dance. Lin doesnt lose sleep over the latter. “I tell young dancers that it doesnt matter even if this production disappears，” he explains.“Every generation should create something of their own. There is always a natural way to preserve culture. You dont have to do it deliberately.”

Cloud Gate

Born into a literary family， Lin was already a published author by age 14. At 22， he published the novel Cicada. In 1969， Lin left for the United States. Soon after arriving， he abandoned his journalism studies in favor of the Writers Workshop at the University of Iowa， with a pair of worn dance shoes tucked in his bag. He took dance as an elective. After only a month in the class， he began choreographing， marking the transformation of the literary youth into a dancer.

In 1973， an era when modern dance was disparaged by many as “breast against breast， butt against butt，” 26-year-old Lin left New York to return to Taiwan， and continued practicing dance in an apartment above a shop on Hsinyi Road in Taipei. This is where Cloud Gate was born. Cloud Gate is named after one of the oldest known Chinese dances that failed to be handed down. The young man insisted that as the West does its thing， Chinese dance should preserve a unique style.

Lins primary inspiration was tradi- tional Chinese culture. Ancient poems， Chinese legends such as Prince Nezha and Lady White Snake， and classical novels such as A Dream of Red Mansions were all adapted into modern dances by Cloud Gate. Breathtaking shows sated with Chinese culture gradually won Cloud Gate international acclaim. In 1981， Lin took Cloud Gate on a European tour， and his reputation exploded. In 1982， a performance at Centre Georges Pompidou， Paris， scored rave reviews throughout European media. “A modern dance theater from Taiwan has saved the international dance festival！” wrote one reporter. Recently， Cloud Gate has been visiting Europe and United States more frequently. Via dance and the theater， increasing numbers of Westerners are able to catch a glimpse of Chinese culture.

Healthy development of modern dance requires a relatively free environment and free-thinking performers. Lins modern dance returns to the natural human state in a typical Chinese way. Every year， Cloud Gate offers free outdoor performances for ordinary people in Taiwan， attracting as many as tens of thousands. Lin is proud of the fact that his company has performed as sublimely in unknown villages in Taiwan as in the grand theaters of New York and Paris. Upscale urbanites are willing to don a raincoat to catch a Cloud Gate performance， and farmers who usually go barefoot in the fields have been known to purchase a pair of new shoes solely for Cloud Gates performance. The critics Lin values most are often the humblest of spectators. “Once， a farmer， with boots covered in mud， stood in the rain for two hours to catch our performance，” Lin recalls. “I asked his opinion， and his answer moved me deeply. He liked the performance and noted that the dancers hands were delicate and their feet were planted firmly on the ground. That was what he took away from my dance.”

After 40 years， Cloud Gate has sprouted from an acorn into a massive oak. Along with its international performance tours， the theaters free outdoor performances in Taiwan attract 50，000 to 60，000 spectators each time， keeping the group in the hearts of Taiwanese.

Exposing the Heart

The contrasting cultural traits of East and West make their respective dances just as different. While ballet stretches upward， Asian dance tends to “take root” in ground. Chinese elements have been incorporated into many dances produced by Cloud Gate， including Peking Opera poses， kung fu moves， tai chi， and calligraphy. Such things no longer just serve as icons， but regulate the pulse of the spirit of dance.

“My work takes inspiration from Chinese traditions， because tradition is our matrix，” Lin asserts. “But in some work， you may notice that I leave the dance ‘naked， even removing the storyline， so that its left bare on stage. In those moments， dancers are no longer playing roles， and choreographers are no longer serving the plot. People are suddenly free， and their hearts swell.”Lin has frequently declared that dancing is his life. “Cloud Gate is not an artistic or aesthetic thing， but a public instrument through which I hope to have a dialogue with modern society.”