In celebration of the 50th year of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, led by Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate, Lin Hwai-min, will perform “Moon Water” on August 30 and 31. Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, in a production made possible by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Taiwan Chamber of Com-merce, and Ayala Group of Companies, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, will be performing in Manila for the first time.
To the Chinese, shui yuei, or moon water, goes back to ancient and respected beliefs. The first is a Buddhist proverb: “Flowers in a mirror and moon on the water are both illusory,” while the other describes the ideal state of Tai Chi practitioners: “Energy flows as water, while the spirit shines as the moon.”
Now, in a modern interpretation of the two philosophies, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan creates a poetic rendering of ideas through movement with the internationally acclaimed “Moon Water,” choreographed by Lin Hwai-min.
The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan was founded in 1973 by the multi-awarded choreographer, Lin. While its name is taken from a 5,000-year-old Chinese ritual dance – the oldest known dance in China – Cloud Gate Dance Theatre is one of the best contemporary dance companies in the world today. Recognized internationally, the group has performed in Europe, Australia, North America, South America, and Asia, conquering the dance scene worldwide.
Founder and artistic director Lin studied Chinese opera movement in his native Taiwan , as well as modern dance in New York, and classical court dance in Japan and Korea.
An established writer, Lin holds a Master of Fine Arts from the prestigious Writer’s Workshop, University of Iowa, USA. His novel Cicada is a best seller in Taiwan.
Lin is also the founder of the Department of Dance at Taiwan’s National Taipei University of the Arts and served as its chairman for five years. In 1993 and 1994, he was the founding dean of the University’s graduate dance program.
Driven by his devotion to arts and education, Lin has given workshops in Cambodia, assisting local dancers to organize teaching materials of Khmer classical dance for children.
For his invaluable contribution to the arts, Lin has received both local and international recognition. He is a two-time winner of the National Award for Arts in Taiwan. He was featured as the “Choreographer of the 20th Century” by Dance Europe and was named by Time magazine as one of “Asia’s Heroes” in 2005. In 1999, Lin received the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
A fusion of Lin’s influences that are both classical and contemporary, from East to West, “Moon Water” is a study of real versus unreal, effort versus effortlessness, yin and yang.
“Moon Water” draws from Tai Chi Tao Yin, a discipline created by Master Hsiung Wei. After years of training with Master Hsiung, the Cloud Gate dancers now move with powerful energy. Their movements are said to draw the viewers into the cycle of their breathing, creating an air of excitement throughout the audience.
With Lin’s powerful choreography, lighting design by Chang Tsan-tao, set design by Austin Wang, and costume design by Lin Ching-ju, set to music from J.S. Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello, “Moon Water” presents the audience with a dramatic experience of movement. The performance premiered in November 1998 at the National Theater in Taipei, Taiwan, and has since been presented in festivals all over the world.
An exploration of the power of movement, body, and dance, Cloud Gate’s “Moon Water” is a fitting performance in celebration of the Ramon Magsaysay Award’s 50th year.
Tickets are available from Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, 892-9009; Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, 523-1233; CCP Box Office, 832-3704; and Ticketworld, 891-9999. For more information, call Nina Manalang at 0917-825-8973.