Taipei: Taiwan's Cloud Gate Dance Theatre will tour Japan twice this year, marking its return after a 16-year hiatus, with performances of two works by choreographer Cheng Tsung-lung. Cheng succeeded the group founder Lin Hwai-min in 2020, the dance troupe announced.
According to Focus Taiwan, the renowned dance company will present Cheng's 2020 piece "Sounding Light" at the Setouchi Triennale in August. This contemporary art festival occurs every three years on the islands of Japan's Seto Inland Sea. "Sounding Light," conceptualized during the COVID-19 pandemic, emerged from Cheng's reflections on the balance and frailties of human life and nature, inspired by the sounds of the forest during a period of self-imposed isolation.
The performance unfolds on stage beneath an arc representing the sun's rays through clouds and trees over the course of a day, with dancers emulating the natural sounds that moved Cheng, as reported by Cloud Gate.
In December, the troupe will also perform its 50th-anniversary production "Wave" in Yokohama, Kyoto, and Kitakyushu on Kyushu Island. For this production, Cheng collaborated with Japanese digital artist Daito Manabe, who utilized artificial intelligence to develop concepts for the choreography. Manabe also contributed to the visual effects and music for the show.
Before its Japan tour, Cloud Gate will first present "Sounding Light" in Taiwan at the Cloud Gate Theater in New Taipei in mid-April and at the Tainan Cultural Center on May 3-4. Tickets for these performances are available on Opentix.