Commissioned by the Taiwan International Festival of Arts in 2016, 13 Tongues is Cheng Tsung-lung’s first full-length work with Cloud Gate 2. Cheng challenges dancers to go beyond their physical limits, breaking through the restraints of one-dimensional arts, by adding vocal elements into the performances.
A legendary figure in the 1960s from Bangka, the oldest district and once the most prosperous area in Taipei, “Thirteen Tongues” was a street artist lauded for his remarkable acts portraying multiple roles, imitating characters of male and female, old and young, telling stories and anecdotes of the past and present.
Cheng’s 13 Tongues brings back the vigorous and exuberant vitality of Bangka: howls on the streets, lingering of old Taiwanese folksongs in the air, chanting of incantation, religious procession of worshippers. On stage, against the projection of a massive koi flittering in the sky, dancers stamp and clap with rhythms, whirl around and move across the stage like an enchanted troop, presenting a bizarre spectrum of physical movements.
Choreography: Cheng Tsung-lung
Music: Lim Giong
Art Design: He Jia-sing
Lighting Design: Shen Po-hung
Projection Design: Ethan Wang
Voice Coach: Tsai Pao-chang
Rehearsal Director: Chen Qiu-yin
Duration: approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes, no interval
Post-show Talk on 26 May
Images
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