Songs of the Wanderers, by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan at Meany Theater Friday night, is not a performance one could ever forget, or find merged with other performances in one’s mind. Unlike any other dance, it is a 90-minute meditation performed with exquisitely slow movement (occasionally interspersed with frenzied ecstatic interludes) in a golden light, with golden rice, and slow chant accompanying it.
Picture at the start a pool of light on a Buddha-like figure, standing unmoving throughout the performance on a small pile of rice, shaved head, white robe, hands in Namaste, with more rice pouring down on him in a steady thin stream.
Gradually one sees what one realizes is a river of rice across the stage as one figure after another emerges, each carrying a tall thin branch as staff. The music (which the notes say is Georgian folk song that sounds like Orthodox or Middle Eastern chant, mostly for two male voices one of which often acts as drone under the other), adds to the hypnotic feel as the dancers move towards and through the river of rice, prostrating themselves, rising up, scooping rice and throwing it in arcs caught by the light.
Many yoga poses are recognizable in their movement, and the sense of awe increases at the extraordinary control and strength of the dancers as they move so gracefully and gradually without ever a wobble, and also at their sense of timing. Often they move individually but sometimes closely in unison with never a cue from the music as to when that might happen.
At one point the staffs and also short sprays of leaves are used to create patterns—like arches in Western cathedral windows or a pentagonal shape.
All the time, the figures, men and women in flesh-colored rags which don’t hide the workings of body movement, are lit by the golden light, though it comes from different places, causing shadows, or reflections, or enhancement as it glows through the rice arcs or on white face paint. At two points a rice deluge from above descends across the whole stage, at another one a rice waterfall descends from the skies with, in it apparently, another figure. Bowls of fire emerge elsewhere as offerings.
It comes all too soon to an end and the company comes out for bows, including choreographer Lin Hwai-min and the Buddha figure whose immobility was cause for further amazement at his control.
But then, after they have left the stage, another figure is present and the music continues. This figure, who has been on stage throughout pushing a long rake, is now seen with a rake with three large tines and three gaps. Very slowly, walking around and around backwards with bent back and bent knees dragging the rake, he creates a perfect spiral which becomes almost as big as the stage.
Time stops while this is going on but it must occupy about ten-15 minutes of hushed meditative attention by the audience.
It comes to a quiet end, as the sideways-lit spiral with its deep shadows lies alone on the stage, and the music gradually dies away.
Although no singers appear for bows, the program notes say that since 2011 the music has been sung live by the Rustavi Ensemble of Georgia. Whether recorded or live, it was the perfect accompaniment for the dance.
Kudos to the artistic director of the UW World Series, Michelle Witt, for bringing this group here and for the help provided by grants from the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, Taiwan. May it come back soon!
{Songs of the Wanderers by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan performs at Meany Hall for the Performing Arts through Saturday, March 8 at 8pm. Tickets and more info available here.}