This article is from WeChat official account:One piece (ID: yitiaotv), Reading: Tao Ye, Editor: Tan Yibai, Photograph: Fan Xi, Duan Ni, Yang Fangbiao
Tao Body is one of the most influential Chinese modern dance troupes, and may be the only one who can survive by performing.
Affected by the epidemic, they have been suspended for four months. Many people are concerned. Is Tao’s body still alive?
On August 22, Tao Body, led by Tao Ye, returned to the world premiere of his new work “10” at the Guangzhou Grand Theater.
The audience had many different feelings after watching: “Dancing at the bottom of the well, praying for God in the rain”, “It is a cell, a molecule, empty and full”…
Work “10”
Work “7”
Tao Body was established in 2008. This year is the 12th year. Questions have never stopped–
Where is the dance?
There is no emotion, no expression, no story, only a human body is twisting, folding, and flipping. What does this kind of dance want to express?
Even viewers who watched it more than once said, “It is difficult for me to find a breakthrough point and feel that I am empathetic, I understand.”
Yi Yi once interviewed Tao Ye and Duan Ni, the founders of Tao Body. They are husband and wife. They are both artistic directors of the dance company, Tao Ye choreographers, Duan Ni rehearsing works and training dancers.
At the beginning of August, we came to Beijing again, and the class was rehearsing Tao’s body. From the status of the dance company after the epidemic to the new work “10”, Tao Ye said: “This time, I should be able to understand it.”
On August 22nd, on the stage of the Guangzhou Grand Theater, the curtain was opened, a light shone, and 10 dancers slowly gathered from the edge of the stage to the center. They wore black dresses, showing only their heads, wrists and ankles. They formed a small circle from a large circle. They rotated while revolving in 27 minutes, like ten big trees growing upwards.
This is the world premiere of Tao Shiyou’s new work “10”.
Photography | Fan Xi
After the performance, Tao Ye and Duan Ni and 10 dancers bowed with Tao’s signature 180 degrees to the audience. Instant screams and applause continued for several minutes. The audience in the theater came to their seats. The rate is the same as all performances after the epidemic, limited to 30%.
This is also their first performance in 2020. For the dance industry that has been silent for half a year under the influence of the epidemic, this performance is precious.
In 2019, they went through 20 art festivals and toured 44 shows in 7 countries. 2020 was originally the year with the highest number of tours in the 12 years since the dance company was founded. For the new work “10”, Tao Body has conducted high-intensity communication with partners at home and abroad for more than half a year. The original plan was to cooperate with the London St. Martin Chamber Symphony Orchestra on site, and hold its world premiere in Shanghai in May.
After the epidemic, all plans became invalid.
Work “6”
Work “8”
Tao Body is one of the most internationally influential Chinese modern dance troupes and has appeared in the New York Times four times.
From “Heavy 3” and “4” to “9” and “10”, the digital series once a year is Tao Ye’s masterpiece, and the “circular movement system” is the core of his dance language. When an action goes out, there must be an action back. The top of the head, elbows, thoracic vertebrae, knees, toes, every inch of the body can be circled with strokes, becoming a cycle, like a wave, dancing forever.
Lin Huaimin once commented that his creative method was “very medieval, and it is a little scary today. Others do what is popular, he doesn’t.”
After four months of breathing, Tao Ye re-arranged “10”.
Half a month before the premiere, a visit to the rehearsal field of Tao’s body in Beijing. The space is located in an art park outside the North Fifth Ring Road. “The rent here is the cheapest in Beijing’s art parks,” Tao Ye said. “Plus it’s quiet and undisturbed, and we can concentrate on dancing.” The neighbors stationed in this red-brick house include artist Zhang Xiaogang, art director Ye Jintian and director Gu Changwei.
Beijing at 36 degrees during the day, hail suddenly fell at night, and a large tree at the entrance of the rehearsal hall was knocked down by a strong wind one night. At noon the next day, the scorching sun was nailed to the top of the head again, and the dancers came from home one after another, took their temperature, checked in, disinfected, and entered the rehearsal hall.
The interior is more than 300 flat, with black walls, white floor glue and no mirrors, which is almost impossible in other dance studios. Tao Ye explained that the mirror is an interference for them, “Tao’s body dance requires self-inspection, inward-sight, whether the movements are standard, and the formation is neat, all depend on opening up his own perception.”
We also watched the rehearsal of “10” up close. Tao Ye gave the work a clear theme for the first time-“a work about prayer”.
The following is Tao Ye’s self-report.
The first time “hands and feet dance”
The work “10” comes from a strong feeling that Duan Ni and I had during the epidemic-the world is out of order, the industry is disconnected, and many projects cannot be restarted. The plans one by one have fallen through, and we even dance. Whether the regiment can survive has become unknown.
I hope to get some comfort, some wishes, and even some begging in this work. “10” is the first time I choreographed with emotion as the main line, and the first time I used “hand”.
In the past, I refused to dance with hands off because it was so easy. Basically all dances have hand expressions. I used to have no hands or even foot power. I only had a spine. The spine was folded and twisted to generate mobility. But this time the part of my hand is resurrected, and the dancer’s movement can extend from the spine to the end of the finger. It’s also more friendly and understandable to the audience.
The formation is a circle. The inspiration comes from the dancers forming a circle with their shoulders on each other, like a ritual. The “circle” in the dance is like a Chinese compass. 10 dancers are constantly creating disorder and regrouping in the clockwise flow of the circle.
During the rehearsal, the dancers and I described that when dancing in this work, you should feel like water. Every starting point is like a drop of water dripping into the water, and then forming a ripple.
Photography| Fan Xi
The shape of the whole person is more like a tree. The dark clothing covers the torso and even the footsteps, protruding the fingers, palms, and head, just like a tree, rising from the ground.
This time, there is finally a solo dance. Huang Li, who has been in Tao’s body for 6 years, is really good enough to be a solo dancer.
In the process of rehearsing “10”, I also had a lot of pursuit and question marks about our own culture.
For example, the word “stems and earths”, when you trace the roots, you will find that the original meaning of stems and branches is that trees grow upward. The Roman numeral “10” and the Chinese “ten” also have a morphological link. At the intersection of the four points of east, west, south and north, there is a solo dance. The 0 of “10” is like the earth, and 1 is everyone.
It looks like dancing is relying on “inertia”, but to compose it is a test of thinking ability. Strength and strength cannot be broken, and the least effort should be used to complete the whole process. Don’t use brute force. In fact, it is all Eastern culture.
Work “5”
Work “9”
The whole work is 27 minutes, which is less than 30% of the previous work.
In my previous work, new dancers couldn’t dance, and it was too difficult. Some wanted to squeeze every drop of water out of the body, and finally show bone and blood.
But I don’t think about challenges in the new work. I hope it will arouse trust between people and explore whether the disordered world can be restored to a better one?
Take a breath and continue
To me, the epidemic is “a blessing in disguise” to a certain extent.
At the end of last year, Duan Ni and I returned to our hometown in Xi’an for the New Year. When the epidemic was at its worst, we decided to drive back to Beijing and we were trapped at home.
Work “4”
On the other hand, you feel hopeless.
A large number of people in the performing arts industry in the circle of friends are constantly wailing, the projects are cancelled one by one, the theater is not open, everyone is speechless. The sense of panic and crisis is multiplied. If this continues, theater culture can no longer recover, what should we do? Is this our dance company over?
For almost two months, I couldn’t stand it anymore, sad, painful, hesitant…Day after day, I experienced weakness and depression that I had never experienced before. At this juncture, Duan Ni felt my state. She said: “Without dancers, we can do it ourselves. Without a performance venue, we can take videos.”
“We dance, as long as we dance, there is hope.”
Tao Ye Duan Ni Duo Photography | Fan Xi
So the two of us and our good friend artist Fan Xi started to shoot a series of short films named “The Beautiful Gift”, which is a bit like a tutorial on basic dance movements, Duan Ni dance, and I will narrate.
In recent years, Duan Niduo and I have been behind the scenes as the main creative and teaching. In fact, for many years, I have not felt the charm of the stage or the value of being a dancer. Taking a dance video and returning to your own body is like a physical experiment-Duan Ni is already in her 40s, and her way of expression is very different from when she was young.
While we share with you online, we are also working on “10” while waiting for the return of the dancers. Just take a breath, and pack lightly.
Now we have a total of 10 full-time dancers, the age span of 10 years, from 90s to 00s.
We will open recruitment at the beginning of each year, and each time more than 100 dancers from all over the world come to apply, including many foreigners, Singapore, London, and even black dancers.
Generally, after the first round, half of the people have left; the remaining half enters the three-month adaptation period, and are screened at different levels. Interviews are required to see the three views. Finally, there is an internship for another year. Very few formal dancers become formal dancers. . 4 new dancers joined this year, the youngest born after 00.
Tao Body Dancer Recruitment Day
Before joining Tao’s body, they learned all kinds of dances, such as ballet, ethnic, and classical dance. After coming to Tao’s body, the body needs to be reshaped, and the previous dance habits have to be broken. This process is at least half a year .
Duan Ni and I often say: “I hope that the space behind the head can be danced.” Human bodies are not inherently liberated. Your ligaments, explosive power, and physical stamina are all objects you have to fight against. Therefore, it usually takes three years for new dancers to express our work on the stage.