Chinese Martial Arts Dance Series: Episode V

Artistic Director/Choreographer: Miranda Chin
Music Director/Composer: Chan Ming Chi
Live Music: Tainan National University of the Arts
Premiere: 6 January 2006
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HK)
No. of Performers: 19 (dancers); 4 (live musicians)
Duration: 75mins

 

A combination of Tai Chi movement, yi philosophy and modern choreography ‘Eight Trigrams of the I Ching Yin Yang and Five Elements Striking the writhe of the “Tao” of Dance’ The 5th episode of Wuji is a local production that brings together artists from the Mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and which combines dance, martial arts, music and visual arts, emphasizing both traditional interpretation and contemporary creation. The whole episode revolves round the main creative plot line of the yijing bagua (Eight Trigrams of the Book of Change), using yin-yang, wusing (Five Elements) and bagua to interpret the endless changes in Man and Nature, and in Nature and Everything. Chen’s Taiji’s gnarled, entwining spiral shows taiji’s ultimate beauty in the form of the “S” in its aero-dynamic movement and rhythm, as well as the harmonious circling of the taiji and bagua, amply representing the Dao (Way)
which is both conflict and unity. The whole program includes eight trigrams of the I Ching Yin Yang and five elements which are Qian Heaven, Kun Earth, Gen Mountain, Kan Water, Zhen Thunder, Dui Lake, Li Fire and Xun Wind.