Elbows locked, dancers bow after Cloud Gate Dance Theatre performed its 40th anniversary’s celebratory program “Rice” at the Hellerau Theatre in Germany. The life cycle of rice was aptly captured by the dancers’ fluid movement against the lush green wave of rice paddies on the screen.
Lin Hwai-min, founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre:
Farmers in Taitung’s Chihshang Township have adopted organic farming,producing very beautiful rice paddies. The utilities poles, they said, spoil the landscape,so they asked the national power company to bury them underground.
Now the whole area has dozens of hectares of tremendous rice fields. I was moved by the scenery and inspired to create this dance.
The theater’s artistic director, Dieter Jaenicke, is Lin’s old friend. He spoke highly of Lin and his troupe’s achievements. Jaenicke also brought some rice saplings from Taipei back to Germany and planted them in the theater ahead of Cloud Gate’s performance.
Dieter Jaenicke, director of the Hellerau Theater:
We’re very happy, honored and proud to do that (present the show). Cloud Gate is for sure the leading dance company in Asia. Lin Hwai-min is one of the most giftedand most important choreographers in the world. So for us, it’s an honor to have him here.
“Rice” was invested and co-produced by prestigious theaters in Europe and Asia. Tickets to the first show in Germany were sold out, and many Taiwan expatriates attended the event to support the dance company.