What's New
The 45th Anniversary Gala Program by The Cloud Gate Dance Group of Taiwan - The Premier at Weiwuying’s Opera House This Week
After leading the Cloud Gate for 45 glorious years and making it one of the finest dance companies in the world, Lin Hwai-min announced his plan to retire from the as artistic director of the Cloud Gate at the end of 2019. The 45th Anniversary Gala Program is a retrospective of his 90 works, featuring 16 well-known extracts from nine of Cloud Gate’s classics that had mesmerized audiences worldwide. The Gala Program will be staged on December 7-8. 2018 at The Weiwuying Performing Arts Center. After breathtaking performances in Taipei and Taichung, an additional extract from the well-known classic “How Can I Live On Without You” will be added to the Gala Program at their performance in Weiwuying. Don’t miss the historic moment to see the essence of the Cloud Gate’s legendary power and beauty all coming together in one show as the tribute to the final bow of choreographer Lin!
Lin Hwai-min, the founder of the Cloud Gate Dance Group, remarked that “Kaohsiung has the biggest theatre in Asia now, drastically different from other theatres elsewhere. That’s why it touches us. As we all know, Weiwuying has been transformed and preserved from a military training base to an arts and culture center, partly due to all the tremendous efforts and work done by the general public. This is a theatre for the citizens of Kaohsiung, and the rest of us all envy Kaohsiung for having this wonderful place. The Cloud Gate will definitely join in celebrating the success of this center, allowing the passion to flow into the theatre.”
The 45th Anniversary Gala Program specially presents 16 epic extracts of highly-acclaimed works from 45 glorious years of performances, including “Portrait of the Families, Moon Water, Cursive, Bamboo Dream, Pine Smoke, Wind Shadow, White Water, Rice, and How Can I Live On Without You.” This special program allows the audience to enjoy and reflect on the best of Cloud Gate’s decades of works.
According to Cloud Gate, the 45th Anniversary Gala Program highlights dancers’ distinctive virtuosity while showing the variety of techniques that Lin developed over the years. Lin said that these special pieces would showcase his senior dancers, who have performed for more than 25 years, in their classic roles. For instance, Yang I-chun in Portrait of the Families signifies the unswerving perseverance of a traditional woman through her elegant dance. Chou Chang-ning in Cursive, known for his body sway style of dancing, displays Chinese calligraphy in Yong. “While choosing the pieces, I can only see these dancers. It’s impossible to separate these dancers from our works. The pieces would not be made possible without them,” said Lin. Lin wants to show how the seniors can still shine and charm the audience on stage after so many years of performance via the 45th Anniversary Gala Program.
The 45th Anniversary Gala Program presents the epic works of choreographer Lin. The audience can enjoy the diverse creations of Cloud Gate. According to Lin, “Different from other choreographers who focus on one style, I create each piece for different characters. This is partly due to Taiwan’s unique environment. Over the past 45 years of Cloud Gate, we have seen so many changes politically and economically along with this society. Living in Taiwan is like standing on a boat. You need to constantly balance yourself with the waves. Your sensitivity is subject to your new perspective, and creation would be forged differently accordingly.”
It is worth mentioning that The 45th Anniversary Gala Program would be the premier show for Weiwuying’s Opera House, unveiling its mysteries. Our opera house can accommodate 2,236 patrons, offering the largest stage in Taiwan for all varieties of opera, theatre works, dance, and other performances. Audiences for the 45th Anniversary Gala Program in Kaohsiung will be the first group of people to appreciate the beauty of our theatre.