16 | 18

Two works of the Numerical Series, 16 and 18 by the TAO Dance Theater, are presented as a double bill. 

Exploring motion, the work 16 develops languages and possibilities of how the body moves. It fosters a circular space for the 360 degree movement of the head. Circles of different shapes are drawn in the space. The dancer’s body moves like a dragon. 

The tiny space created by the head in 16 presents an infinitely derived structural multi-dimensional body. Through the ultimate exploration of repetitive and nonrepetitive movements, it paints a chaotic but splendid micro-world. 

Tao Ye’s latest choreography, 18, continues his Numerical Series. The piece takes the nine-square grid as its spatial framework to investigate transformations between squares and circles, the infinitude of movement as well as the poetic resonance of calligraphy. The dancers treat space like rice paper, conceiving their bodies as brushstrokes, inscribing the classical poem Xing Ying Shen (Form, Shadow and Spirit) by the Eastern Jin poet Tao Yuanming. Often described as ‘dance on paper’, Chinese calligraphy embodies a philosophical art form. 

On stage, 18 dancers form two sets of nine operating in correspondence. Using their bodies, they embody and ‘transcribe’ the three sections of the poem. Each grid’s movement vocabulary integrates nine fundamental calligraphic gestures—such as lifting, sinking, pausing and cutting—and translates them into kinetic principles. 

Unlike previous works, 18 focuses on smaller, more subtle movements. In this piece, the circular, flowing aesthetics of dance, calligraphy and sonic rhythm converge, entering into dialogue with the philosophical inquiry of Xing Ying Shen. With breath as rhythm, the spine as axis and the centre of gravity as orbit, the work reconfigures and expands the expressive potential of the contemporary body.