Meeting with Master Lin Hwai Min at the Cloud Gate Theater
On May 26th, The Art & Culture Interest Group organized a trip to the newly opened Cloud Gate Dance Theater in Tamsui. Audience turnout exceeded expectations, with over 130 attendees taking this opportunity to interact with Master Lin Hwai Min, the founder and artistic director of the internationally acclaimed dance group. Those in attendance were treated to a thought provoking sensory experience, a dance rehearsal of “Smoke.”
The theater sits on a hill, looking out onto the Tamsui River. It finds itself between the ancient Huwei Fort and a 98-year-old golf course. This new home replaced the group’s makeshift studio in Ba-Li, which was destroyed in a blaze in 2008. The group was able to then sign a B.O.T. contract with the New Taipei City Government and was granted a 40-year lease, giving them the right to use public land under the condition that they remain independent in their operations. “This construction was only made possible thanks to 4,155 donations big and small, including $5 million from the Alphawood Foundation in Chicago.” said Master Lin.
The theater is furthermore home to several Ju Ming sculptures, pieces from the “White Living World Series,” imparting an additional sense of serenity against the natural green backdrop.
Before the 4 sections of “Smoke” were formally presented, the audience was first shown a 20-minute video introduction of Cloud Gate - detailing 42 years of its colorful history.
Through visuals and narratives, the audience was taken back to the founding of Cloud Gate in 1973. Its repertoire then was rooted in Asian mythology, Folklore and classic aesthetics - presenting age-old art forms with a contemporary perspective. This company of 24 dancers is the first full-time contemporary dance group in the Chinese world and they have toured both extensively across the world, and also throughout Taiwan in venues National and Local. Master Lin then founded Cloud Gate 2 in 1999 and Cloud Gate Dance School in 1998, bringing the joy of dance to wider audiences and students from ages 4 to 84.
As for the performance, “Smoke” originated in the years 2002 through 2003, and it remained incomplete until now. With that, the Master said simply “now let’s open the kitchen and see what we will serve.”
The dance rehearsal began when all the audience was seated, facing panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Throughout the practice, Master Lin took great care in instructing each dancer to attend to every movement, down to the smallest detail. “Have you seen a cat jump? The cat never thinks before the leap. Dancers need to achieve that level of instinct in their movements. On stage, they should not be thinking. The movement should be natural and intuitive.”
The dancers moved with grace and power, each interpretation filled with nuance and meaning. The audience was left awestruck and pensive, with a deep appreciation of this innovative art form. Indeed, the dancers had practiced 8 full hours daily even while on tour, with a variety of drills to deepen their understanding of Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Chinese Operatic Movements, Modern Dance and Ballet.
During the Q & A session, Master Lin was asked where he wanted to lead this theater. His response was to “give back to Taiwan, the country that raised him”. He also hopes to serve as a production theater for other Taiwanese companies to try out their new works. “Cloud Gate Theater is committed to serving as a cultural hub for the Taiwanese community, the ‘cradle of the theater scene’ so to speak.”
After the program, representatives from the diplomatic community congratulated and greeted Master Lin. Hon. Jozsef Szekely, the Representative from Hungary, presented a gift to Master Lin. Furthermore, Mdm. Ann Keke, spouse of Ambassador of Nauru, attended this event even with an injured ankle, which she said that she would not have missed for the world!
Even when there is no performance, Cloud Gate is a short MRT ride from Taipei city, worthy of a visit. The site features a restaurant serving exceptional dumplings, which are perhaps even tastier given the surrounding scenery. According to Master Lin, in order to blend the theater into nature, they not only transplanted all the old trees from old Ba-Li studio, but also planted around 200 new trees. The growth was so vibrant such that Master Lin joked that he might consider planting a pair of chopsticks, which he was sure, would grow in no time.
Written by Mdm. Shia Cheng, Lisa
Executive Director of WTIC
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