Bamboo Dream
In Bamboo Dream, the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan performs a stunning modern dance program inspired by the the evergreen bamboo. Much praised by poets over the centuries, the bamboo symbolizes integrity and simple elegance and is also the subject of many stories and legends. In Chinese folklore, bamboo groves are the home of nymphs and gods and serve as a refuge for wise men in times of political danger. Unlike choreographer Lin Hwai-min's other works, which are typically performed in a drawn-out balletic style, Bamboo Dream is characterised by vigorous, dance-like sequences, some of which are positively western/European in terms of dynamic, gesture and expression. The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan performs these dances to a combination of some of the most well known pieces by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and melodies improvised by Chinese flute player Huang Sheng-Kai.