 |
| Nine Songs, a production by Asia's foremost dance company Cloud Gate, is a poetic tribute to those we should hold in reverence. (China Daily) |
The penultimate number does require some knowledge of the Chinese language and Chinese history as names are chanted out in Mandarin and Taiwanese dialect over a long sequence for which men and women are gagged and executed.
These are Chinese heroes who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their nation. We worship them in the same sense our ancestors worshipped their gods and goddesses. With one touch, Lin connected esoteric shamanism with the modern legacy that binds the Chinese people.
Artistically, Nine Songs is a calculated study in contrast. Ming Cho Lee's set design is uncharacteristically realistic - for a modern dance piece.
For one thing, there is a lotus pond downstage complete with water, well, actually outside the proscenium where the orchestra pit is. On top of that, rows of stage curtains on both top and sides are replaced with giant panels of lotuses, which are inspired by a lotus painting by Taiwan artist Lin Yu-san. The giant moon for the backdrop looks like it was lifted from a Broadway musical.
Yet, within this true-to-life frame, the action is nothing but abstract.
Men experience life of pregnant women to mark International Women's Day
Feedback
RSS
