​​​​​​​Danse Danse To Present Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Of Taiwan

Danse Danse will present Asia's leading contemporary dance company, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, and invites Montreal audiences to a dizzying sensory journey, inspired by a mysterious lunar phenomenon, from November 28 to 30 at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts.

Cheng Tsung-lung, artistic director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan since 2020, observed a sparkling ring around the moon in the sky over Iceland. Caused by ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere, the illusion is said to predict an impending storm and, on a deeper level, to portend a time of change. That is the premise of Lunar Halo, the result of a perfect symbiosis with the hauntingly ethereal music of the legendary Icelandic band Sigur Rós.

Created five years ago, Lunar Halo features thirteen brilliant dancers, trained in contemporary dance, martial arts, qi gong and meditation, as well as urban dance since 2019. The performers interact on stage with a complex system of lights and immense video projections. Their performance, at the crossroads of these disciplines, transcends artistic boundaries to offer an uncommonly immersive experience.

Lunar Halo promises to transport spectators into a dimension where the beauty of movement, the intensity of martial arts and the power of new technologies meet to explore the mysteries of the universe and the profound transformations that result from it.

About Cheng Tsung-lung

Cheng Tsung-lung took his first dance class at the age of 8. Upon graduation from the Dance Department at Taipei National University of the Arts, he joined Cloud Gate in 2002 and became the Artistic Director of Cloud Gate 2 in 2014.

Cheng Tsung-lung's work is deeply rooted in both ancient and modern Taiwanese culture — he is a strong supporter of Cloud Gate's extensive engagement with grassroots audiences across Taiwan— yet also embraces global influences.

Cheng Tsung-lung has been a fixture of Routledge's respected annual survey of dance practitioners, Fifty Contemporary Choreographers (2020), alongside the likes of William Forsythe, Akram Khan, Hofesh Shechter, and leaders in the form.

About Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan

Founded in 1973 by Lin Hwai-min, Cloud Gate is Asia's oldest contemporary dance company, acclaimed worldwide for its innovative and poetic creations.

Cloud Gate has toured worldwide with frequent engagements at the Next Wave Festival in New York, the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, the Moscow Chekhov International Theatre Festival in Russia, the Movimentos International Dance Festival, and the Internationales Tanzfest NRW, directed by late Pina Bausch in Germany. The international press acclaims the company as “Asia's leading contemporary dance theater” (The Times), and “One of the best dance companies in the world” (FAZ). Cloud Gate is also honored as the “Outstanding Company” for the 2018 National Dance Awards, UK. In 2020, Cheng Tsung-lung succeeded Lin Hwai-min as the company's Artistic Director.

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