Taiwanese choreographer debuts performance limited to one person per show

臺灣編舞家首次表演每場次限一人觀賞

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Award-winning choreographer Yao Shu-fen (姚淑芬) debuted her new work "NEXT" (下一日) on Friday (June 14), which allows one person to watch per show.

The intimate performance takes place in a dimly lit black corridor. The symphony of sounds, visuals, performers, and real-time digital capture create a private moment of connection and reflection.

Dancers perform live with interactive devices, exploring the relationship between technology and humanity.

Yao is the winner of Taiwan's 2017 National Award for Arts. She established the Century Contemporary Dance Company (世紀當代舞團, CCDC) in 2000.

Yao, known for her works "Beneath the Skies" (蒼穹下) and "Deserted Gaze" (塵漠的凝視), which combine dance and real-time video, has taken this concept further in "NEXT." The CCDC said the new work utilizes more advanced real-time video capture technology and algorithms in collaboration with director Lu Po-shun (呂柏勳).

The performance captures the transience of daily life through the unpredictable nature of real-time computing. It prompts contemplation about the future, or what will come “next.”

"NEXT" also features the work of Japanese kinetic visual artist Takahashi Keisuke (高橋啟祐). Takahashi incorporates artist Gau Chang-yung's (高昌勇) concept of wheelchairs into his refined yet intricate moving imagery.

The wheelchair, a common object, symbolizes "inorganic power." It is a metaphor for the limitations inherent in human existence.