The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre will become the first group from Taiwan to take part in World Ballet Day, a series of live online events from the world’s leading dance companies, on Oct. 19.
Established in 2014 by the Australian Ballet, the Royal Ballet in London and Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet, World Ballet Day offers a glimpse into the daily operations of dance groups from around the world, including morning classes and rehearsals, as well as exclusive previews of upcoming performances, according to the event’s website.
Cloud Gate Artistic Director Cheng Tsung-lung (???) said in a statement Friday that it was an honor to have the chance to dance in the same event as some of the world’s top performers.
“With the way performing arts have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, such a global event shows the important role of the arts in bringing people together,” Cheng said.
Cloud Gate, one of the nine groups this year making their World Ballet Day debut, plans to show a live rehearsal in its 40-minute slot, which is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. on Oct. 19 and can be watched via Cloud Gate’s YouTube Channel.
A total of 47 groups will take part in this year’s event, with members of the public encouraged to share a video clip of them dancing online with the hashtag #worldballetday, according to Cloud Gate.
For dance enthusiasts in Taiwan, meanwhile, Cloud Gate will present “Dance Express” at its home base in New Taipei on selected weekends before Nov. 21.
According to Cloud Gate’s website, the interactive demonstration takes participants through a “dancing time warp and Cloud Gate’s daily training in ballet, modern dance, Tai Chi Dao Yin as well as martial arts.”
As part of “Dance Express,” Cloud Gate dancers will also perform highlights from the group’s past works, including group founder Lin Hwai-min’s (???) “Moon Water” and “White Water,” as well as Cheng’s “13 Tongues”. Tickets are available through the Tiki Poki service.
In addition, the group said it would hold free community workshops in Keelung, Yilan, Miaoli, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Changhua, as well as introductory events in schools in rural areas and outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu before the end of the year.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel