16 & 17

TAO Dance Theater creates two new works of Series of numbers, with 16 and 17 as a complete performance. As the series continues to be developed, these two new works deepen the study of body movement, enrich the circular movement technique, discovering the infinite possibility that “changes instantaneously” from the imagery that “follows the law of inertia” in the artistic exploration of physicality of the East. 

16 is the 15th work from the Numerical Series by the choreographer Tao Ye. Inspired by the traditional Chinese Loong Dance (“dragon dance”), it features a curved line of 16 dancers who shift and gesture to transmit energy back and forth, from beginning to end. Through a dynamic use of space, the dancers move like a dragon, their spines drilling, passing, following, twisting, and winding to guide their arms and legs in a dance that harmonizes with the body’s center of gravity. As 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in China, 16 explores the agility of Eastern physicality in the hope of ushering in good luck for the new year.

17, the 16th work from the Numerical Series, echoes 7, continuing the experiment between sounds and body movement. The concept of the piece comes from the imagery produced by tonal motion, whose fluctuations and linear progression are both auditory and physical. 17 dancers disperse and gather in a seemingly disordered manner. Sounds signal every move: falling with “hm”, oppression with “ng”, and surprise with “ah”… As the body movement is always keeping pace with the sounds, this dance becomes 
a game between two languages in counterpoint, giving rise to a variety of mixed and unconventional relationships. The resonance between sound and physicality seeks to ignite profound dramatic and theatrical effects.