The Stage

Moon Water

Published Friday 18 April 2008 at 12:10 by Gavin Roebuck

The 20 dancers delivered a spellbinding, spiritual performance of Moon Water.

This is a metaphor used in Tai Chi where energy flows as water, while the spirit shines as the moon. Towards the end, the whole stage is slowly flooded with water, creating a shallow pond in which the dancers splash. They are reflected in the water and in a mirror, creating a stunning on-stage work of art.

Choreographer Lin Hwai-min has integrated meditation, tai-chi, martial arts and Chinese opera movement with modern dance and ballet to develop this unique dance style. This varies from the weighty stillness of a stone sculpture, to soft floating lyricism and to fierce martial-art like attack.

Moon Water is set to movements from Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello. Mirrors appear on stage, reflecting the image of the moving dancers and the patterns of the white brush strokes on the flooring. The slow ensemble movements in unison have a powerful and beautiful effect.

The company are dressed by Lin Ching-ju in white silk costumes, and the meditative nature of the movement allows the audience to lose themselves in the actions of the dancers. There were some beautiful duets and stunning solos by Tsai Ming-yuan, Chou Chang-ning and Huang Pei-hua. This is a slow-paced and unique contemporary dance experience.