TAO DANCE THEATER

Numerous international awards, including the Silver Lion at the 2023 Venice Biennale, have marked the trajectory of TAO Dance Theater. This Chinese company, based in Beijing, has performed on the world’s leading stages, from the Lincoln Center Art Festival in New York to Sadler’s Wells in London, the Sydney Opera House and the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. Founded in 2008 by choreographers Tao Ye, Duan Ni and producer Wang Hao, the company stands out for its innovative vision of movement and for a physical technique known as the Circular Movement System.

*13 and 14* are two pieces drawn from *Numerical Series*, a choreographic cycle begun in 2008 which, through its minimalist aesthetic, further codifies the truth of bodily movement. In both works, TAO Dance Theater reveals the beauty of simplicity and, by returning the focus to the body and to remarkable ensemble work, leaves the audience mesmerised throughout the performance.

According to Tao Ye, in Chinese, the pronunciation of “13 and 14” phonetically resembles an expression that conveys the wish for something to last a lifetime. In the first piece, we witness the process, the struggle and the exploratory journey of the Circular Movement System. And in the colourful second work, the culmination of everything learned: a celebration of dance in its purest state and a degree of mastery over the language of the body that pushes the syntax of dance beyond known limits.

“He is not only the best Chinese choreographer but also one of the most talented in the world”, the founder of the famous Taiwanese Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Lin Hwai-Min, says of Tao Ye. Anyone who has seen his work with the TAO Dance Theater, which he co-initiated, understands why: uncompromising dedication, elaborate technique and a resolute artistic vision. “Dance is the greatest art form because the material we use to dance is ourselves”, according to Tao Ye. “We show everything it is to be human.” In other words: “Body equals dance, dance equals body.” The two pieces from Tao’s Numerical Series are impressive illustrations of how strictness of form can be implemented along with an openness to individual uniqueness. The fabrics and cuts of the costumes, designed by co-choreographer Duan Ni – who have graced the cover of Vogue on several occasions for good reason – are in a class of their own. The complex relationship patterns of thirteen dancers dressed in white to grey-blue determine the flow of 13. In 14, colourful costumes set the scene: the performers dance a broad spectrum of variations between stillness and movement to the rhythm of a metronome.