Taiwan Season: The Back of Beyond, Online, Review

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Rating (out of 5)
5
Show info
Company
Tai Gu Tales Dance Theatre
Production
(Director) Wu Tsai-Lin (Artistic Director) Lin Hsiu-Wei (Manager) Huang Yuan-Yuan (Composer) Shih Jei-Youn / Hsieh Tsung-Ting (Technical Director) Weng Yi-Hsuan (Lighting Design) Wong Choo-Yean (Stage Manager) Huang Yu-Wen (Lighting Technician) Wang Kuan-Hsiang (Technical Team) Weng I-Hsuan / Tsai Chia-Ching / Chang Yao-Wen / Peng Hsuan-Kai / Chen Yen-Hsuan / Wan Shu-Wei (Graphic Design) Ye Yun-Ling
Performers
(Dancer) Wu Tsai-Lin / Hsieh Wan-Lin / Yen Ko-Yin / Hsu shu-chua / Szu Shih-Min / Lin Ting-Syu
Running time
45mins

This is dance, this is theatre, this is sometimes bare emotion moving with force and elegance across the stage. From the beautiful opening sequence, the stage bathed in pale light and dancing candle flames the six dancers weave a wonderful spell with movement, intimacy, and a spiritual force. There’s an emotional depth charge in this work. It’s moves through the performance and is always present and powerful. The music by Shih Jei-Youn is equally wonderful and enhances the whole experience.

The choreography of Hsiu-wei Lin masterfully steers this performance from beginning to end without missing a beat. Slow, rhythmic, and transfixing, the dancers draw in the eye and hold it for the full 45 minutes. I would love to see this performance live, but the filming does the piece justice. Dynamic moving angles are employed and judicial and effective panning. The camera work is sympathetic to the performances.

There are some iconic images which emerge during the performance which have religious and spiritual overtones. Vistas of encounters and experiences with no ending or conclusion pass across the stage. Shadows and light are adept partners to this theatrical experience and the dance form me became a fulfilling experience.

A thousand tales are told here, and you may even catch a glimpse of your own. The final scene, the metamorphism of the dancers hidden behind fabric wrapping, their transitioning and slow evolvement is wonderful and compelling to watch.

As you can tell I was really quite taken by this performance, and I can only advice anyone who enjoys dance to make sure to watch and enjoy this glorious piece of work.

Show Time:

Summerhall (Online Performance ZOOTV)

Ticket prices: £8