Cheng Tsung-lung’s story attracts attention. He went from being an espadrille street vendor to becoming an internationally famous choreographer, and today he is the artistic director of Cloud Gate, one of the most important contemporary dance companies in the world, and the oldest in Taiwan. The director, who took over in 2020 after the retirement of founder Lin Hwai-min, arrives in Barcelona to present 13 Tongues, a piece that recalls his childhood and represents the street culture of the Wanhua district in Taipei, with a mix of classic and contemporary elements. The Taiwanese company arrives at the Mercat de les Flors, from November 23 to 26, as part of Panorama Taiwan, an initiative that unites the dance space with the National Theater and Concert Hall of Taipei (NTCH) for artistic collaboration.
The title of the piece was not chosen at random. ‘Thirteen Tongues’ is the name of a legendary storyteller and street artist, who in the 60s used to use the streets of the Wanhua district as a stage. Hence Cheng Tsung-lung uses that name as the title of his piece, which has toured the world with positive reviews. “During my childhood, I saw many forms of life. I saw prostitution, mafia, religious temples, artists and I wanted to represent the lives of the street through dance” comments the Taiwanese choreographer, who is a great defender of Cloud Gate’s commitment to the popular public of Taiwan.
The interpretation, which unites traditional and contemporary elements, rescues Taiwan’s street culture, from the good to the bad. We see the multiple religious cultures of the Asian country, images of a carp, which represents the Asian myth of the transformation of the fish into a dragon, martial arts… through the movement of the dancers, various audiovisual elements and the use of lights and colors neon, which reflects the union of the traditional with the modern that is experienced in the streets. “Our intention is to show the public the power and strength of the Taiwanese street,” says the director. “I have always wanted to show the elements of the street in dance,” he adds.
And 13 tongues is not the only novelty that the inauguration of Panorama Taiwan brings, the collaboration program between the Mercat de les Flors and the NTCH of Taipei, which from 2022 brings exchanges and residency programs between Catalan and Taiwanese artists.
The duo formed by the choreographer Chen-Wei Lee and the Hungarian dancer Zoltán Vakulya presents, on the 25th and 26th, Burnt [the eternal long now], a work that reflects on the generalized feeling of discomfort and fatigue based on the ideals of success that contemporary society encourages, and the fatigue that this produces in people. “This fatigue, from my point of view, is a social phenomenon that has occurred since the industrial era. We want to represent these elements of fatigue through our piece to draw attention to mental and bodily health,” reflects Chen-Wei Lee. “It is a message that we want to convey to a society that seeks so much to be successful, but has fatigue as a consequence,” she adds.
The collaboration between Mercat and NTCH will continue during 2024, with the presentation of the B.Dance company and the duo Beings, by choreographer Wang Yeu-kwn.