13 Tongues – Dublin Dance Festival – Review

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan
Dates: May 14th & 15

The Dublin Dances Festival kicked off last night with a visit from Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. The festival runs for the next two weeks (14th – 25th of May) with events around the city, with venues including the Abbey Theatre, The Project Arts Centre and some more quirky locations, such as a bench along the Grand Canal (Bench #3 by CoisCéim Dance Theatre)! The Festival is a nice blend of work from around the world along with some homegrown productions. It gives Irish audiences a chance to see productions that would rarely visit our shores otherwise.

Cloud Gate Theatre are a modern dance group based in Taiwan, founded by choreographer Lin Hwai-min in 1973. Their work 13 Tongues is based on choreographer Cheng’s memories of his neighbourhood growing up in Taiwan. He was born in Taipei City’s Bangka district in 1976, a city of over 2 million people. The production represents the flamboyant and chaotic nature of life in the city. The work premiered in 2015 and was a huge success, sparking a number of international tours. The name of the production comes from a legendary local storyteller, who fascinated Cheng as a child.

The music is varied, with touches of modern electronica to more traditional folk sounds. Percussion is an essential element of Lim Giong’s music. At other moments, the dancers scream, laugh or chant, as if they are creatures from the underworld.

There is no hint of an overall story arc, instead, it is a succession of images and ideas that change and morph. The most fascinating element of the work is how different it feels to productions from more familiar locations. The ideas and stories it draws from are from an entirely different culture to our own.

Colour plays a large role in the production. At the start of the piece, the dancers are dressed in simple black clothing. At times they move like shadows on the black background. A carp (fish) is projected onto the back wall of the set, bringing a sudden burst of colour. Later in the piece, one performer appears wearing fluorescent clothing, like a creature from another realm. By the end of the production, the dancers have embraced these vivid hues, and it is like watching an abstract painting come to life as they bound around the stage. The production is a bright and colourful exploration of movement and sound.

Credits:

Choreography CHENG Tsung-lung
Performers CHAN Pui-pui, CHEN Lien-wei, CHOU Chen-yeh, FAN Chia-hsuan, HUANG Lu-kai, HUANG Mei-ya, HUANG Yen-cheng, LEE Tzu-chun, SHAO Hsing-wen, YEH Po-sheng, YEN Hsueh-hsin
Music LIM Giong
Art Design HO Chia-hsing
Lighting Design SHEN Po-hung
Projection Design WANG Ethan
Costume Design LIN Bing-hao
Voice Coach TSAI Pao-chang