Movements of a nation
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s Formosa presented the physical conflict of a rise of a nation through abstract movement and projected words, writes Aref Omar
THE birth of a nation is like the creation of a living thing as well. There’s beauty, emotion and a certain edgy character to it all. There’s also physical conflict, raucousness and a certain jarring effect. Simply bittersweet elegance and a realisation that there’s something special and bigger than all of us.
Then there’s certainly hope as well. These were some of the emotions that were portrayed and felt at certain moments in the dance extravaganza Formosa, which ran for two days at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Staged by Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, one of Asia’s leading contemporary dance companies, the production was a love letter of its founder and artistic director Lin Hwai-min to his homeland.
The concept and choreography by Lin was inspired by the history of Taiwan and the 70-minute show was told in a non-narrative format, which mirrored the uncertainties of life.
Over 20 dancers from the company performed in various configurations on the wide white stage during a series of segments that were punctuated or accompanied by excerpts of poems read out loud.
The works by various Taiwanese poets that rang out in droning Mandarin were interspersed with experimental, classical and folk music by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, French composer Gerard Grisey and Cloud Gate’s music director Liang Chun-mei.
What gave some of the segments a course ethereal sheen was the soulful voice from Taiwanese indigenous artiste, Sangpuy Katatepan Mavaliyw.
Another element that accompanied the dynamic movements and choreography was the projections on the white background designed by Chou Tung-Yen.
Made up of black Chinese characters and words that were said to represent the names of mountains, rivers, cities and villages in Taiwan, the complex forms moved in assorted formations across the screen to represent different environments, mood and feel of the different segments.
All taken in together, the show presented the people, culture and land in abstract forms. The sharp and distinctive movements were at times strong and jagged but at other instances flowing and subtle.
At one point there were even fierce fights between two groups of dancers. There were other conflicts as well that were certainly representative of natural phenomena or disasters aside from the human clashes.
At the end, it wasn’t necessary to have had pre-knowledge of Taiwan’s actual history. People are the same everywhere and as they say, history tends to repeat itself, for better or worse.
This made the whole experience somewhat relatable given the many episodes of friction, whether it be political, social, economic or natural, currently happening around the world.
But the human spirit endures and there’s also the dream of a better tomorrow.