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| ABOUT TRaC |
MultiTRaC Fall 2003
Moving Waters: A Review of Moon Water Powerful but uneventful is the best way to describe the Cloud Gate Dance Company's production of Moon Water. This company, founded in Taiwan by Lin Hwai-min, uses Buddhist proverbs and elements of Tai Chi to produce an effortless movement that mirrors the qualities of water. All of the dancers have studied for many years with Master Hsiung to harness what is known as chi. This is the inner energy that flows from one's dan tien (torso). This energy allows the dancers to move with great fluidity. It was this energy from the dancers that allowed me to overlook the sheer boredom that stemmed from the choreography. While Lin Hwai-min may be a renowned choreographer, his interest in martial arts left a more than ample mark on his work. He lacks variety in his dances. The same moves were repeated over and over again. While this is acceptable in Tai chi in dance it becomes redundant and uninteresting. It also did not help that the music was a uneventful as the choreography. Hwai-min uses nine movements from Johan Sebastian Bach's Six Suites for Solo Cello. Although the music flowed like the dance, it was very melancholy and I found myself fighting sleep. What kept the night from becoming a complete sleep-inducer was the amazing performance given by the dancers. Even when they were still energy radiated from them. The music seemed to almost come from them. Their strong, toned bodies gave them complete muscle control. It was this control that allowed them to hold positions that would put to shame the best yoga masters. Soloists like Tsai Ming-yuang and Chou Chang-ning personified the mastery of martial arts and modern dance. This Buddhist quote describes them best: "Energy flows as water, while the spirit shines as the moon." The set and costumes were as vivid as the dancers. The stage was black except for white swirls that were reminiscent of ripples on a pond. It then flooded with real water allowing for a reflection of the dancers. Then the back curtain went up revealing a huge mirrored backdrop. The reflection of the water on the mirrors was so beautiful I found myself a little distracted by it. The costumes were elegant in their simplicity. Everyone wore flowing white pants and the women wore flesh colored leotards giving the entire company a half nude appearance. When wet the costumes allowed the audience to see the well-toned outlines of the dancers' bodies. The performance was a perfect balance of grace and strength. While the material was not as varied as I would have liked the dancers more than made up for it with the sheer beauty of their movements. The piece was exactly like its namesake, uninteresting at first but when contemplated on extraordinary in its simplicity.
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