TAO Dance Theater, 4 & 9, Sadler's Wells Preview

TAO Dance Theater continually takes the international contemporary dance world by storm with its minimalist choreography and mesmeric qualities.

Under the direction of the acclaimed Beijing-based choreographer Tao Ye, the company uses a mixture of art forms to explore the human body as a visual entity, devoid of storytelling or representation.

Sadler’s Wells last welcomed TAO Dance Theater in October 2016, when the company presented the final section of its Straight Line Trilogy. This season, the dancers return with 4 & 9, with new work, 9, receiving its UK premiere.

As a turning point in TAO Dance Theater’s Numerical Series, 9 draws inspiration from the Chinese cultural concepts of hardship and renewal. Devised for nine dancers, 9 ultimately endeavours to take advantage of the chaos of having this unequal number of bodies moving simultaneously. It portrays a relationship that morphs between complexity and simplicity.

London dance audiences will experience 9 in a double bill alongside 4, an earlier offering from the Numerical Series. In 4, a quartet of dancers move together as one, perfectly coordinated in uniform anonymity but never touching.

Both works feature music from the company’s regular collaborator, the indie-folk musician and avant-garde composer Xiao He.

Fundamentally, TAO Dance Theater uses highly disciplined dancers to breathe graceful life into thoughtful and truly original concepts.

The company was founded in 2008 by master of minimalist movement Tao Ye (Artistic Director), Duan Ni (Rehearsal Director) and Wang Hao (Company Manager). Tao Ye and Duan Ni met in Jin Xing Contemporary Dance Theatre and were later introduced to Wang Hao in Beijing Modern Dance Company.

TAO Dance Theater has toured more than thirty countries and regions on five continents since its launch, attracting the attention of critics and audiences from various artistic disciplines.

For enthralling physical theatre, you need look no further.

Age Guidance: 12+