TAO Dance Theater (China) - 16 & 17
16 is the fifteenth work in the Numerical Series by choreographer Tao Ye. Inspired by the traditional Chinese Loong dance (dragon dance), it features a curved line of 16 dancers who move and gesture to transfer energy from beginning to end. Through dynamic use of space, the dancers move like a dragon: their spines pierce, pass, follow, twist, and coil to guide their arms and legs in a dance that is in harmony with the body's center of gravity. As 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon in China, 16 explores the flexibility of Eastern physicality, with the hope of bringing good fortune for the new year.
17, the sixteenth work in the Numerical Series, follows up on 7 and continues the experiment between sound and body movement. The concept arises from the imagery created by tonal movement, whose fluctuations and linear progression are both auditory and physical. 17 dancers spread out and come together again in seemingly chaotic ways. Sounds accompany each movement: falling with "hm," suppression with "ng," and surprise with "ah". Because the movements always synchronize with the sounds, a play between two languages in counterpoint emerges. This leads to a multitude of mixed and unconventional relationships. The resonance between sound and physicality aims to evoke profound dramatic and theatrical effects.
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