Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan: Rice/Nine Songs - Sadler’s Wells

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, the first contemporary dance company in the Chinese-speaking world, is an exceptional company in many ways. Established in 1973, it is now celebrating its 40th anniversary last year – a considerable milestone and one which many contemporary dance companies will never reach. 

To celebrate this anniversary, founding artistic director Lin Hwai-min has created Rice. Set against a video backdrop that depicts the life cycle of a traditional, underwater rice field, this piece draws inspiration from the people and landscapes of Chihshang, located in Taiwan’s East Rift Valley. Accompanied by folksongs sung in Hakka, the oldest existing Chinese dialect, as well as Western operatic arias, Rice celebrates Taiwanese culture from a 21st century perspective.

The second part of this double bill is Nine Songs, created by Hwai-min in 1993. The original sets and most of the costumes for this piece were destroyed in 2008, when Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s headquarters burned to the ground. However, the masks that the dancers wear in Nine Songs were kept in a crate, which protected them from the blaze. Their survival prompted Hwai-min to re-stage the piece. Based on the classical Chinese poems of Qu Yuan, written more than 2000 years ago, Nine Songs successfully merges ancient Chinese storytelling with modern-day appearances. Traditional shamans share the stage with protesters, commuters and cyclists.

Dubbed ‘Asia’s leading contemporary dance theatre’ by The Times for a reason, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre always delivers truly outstanding performances. The dancers are trained in meditation, Qi Gong, martial arts, modern dance, ballet and calligraphy. They are incredible artists who bring so much more to the stage than just their physical ability. Unsurprisingly, tickets are selling fast for this one, so be quick.