CONTEMPORARY CHINESE DANCE

Since its formation in 2000, the Dance Consortium has brought us an array of international treats. From ballet to hip hop, the Consortium introduces diverse, innovative and challenging dance companies to audiences across the UK. The latest of which is the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, whose Moon Water show has attracted more than its fair share of superlatives.

The first contemporary dance company to hail from a Chinese-speaking country, Cloud Gate blends Eastern and Western styles with the movement and breathing techniques of Tai Chi. Taking the less is more approach, the dancers create circular patterns dressed in identikit white silk costumes. Beneath them lies a stage flooded with water, above them a sea of mirrors which reflect the action below.

Set to Bach’s Suites for Solo Cello, Moon Water is as much a work of art as it is performance, and a fascinating chance to see how contemporary dance and traditional culture can make beautiful bedfellows.