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Last September we watched and were enthralled by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. Here's another major dance company from the East Asian country - the Legend Lin Dance Theatre.

Like watching a Cloud Gate performance, one doesn't need to be a dance critic to clearly notice and to fully feel the strength of the ensemble of dancers and the distinctiveness of choreography that is based on, among others, nature and Chinese philosophy.

Artistic director and choreographer Lee Chen Lin says in our interview, "The performers came from many different backgrounds - some are martial artists, some have been trained in theatre, and others in western dances. No matter what the background, we started on working on the body and soul together here.

"It's very difficult for them [at first to work like one unified dance ensemble, given their different backgrounds], but they've been trained [in the company] for eight to 10 years. First they had to rediscover themselves, regarding their bodies, not regarding the Western techniques they'd been trained in. Also, they had to have the ability to observe daily lives. Then, they could join the group.

"There are four keywords - calm, gentle/settle, relax/loose, feel the gravity. After the process, the male and female will have almost the same strength. We work physically and spiritually at the same time. These are from ancient Chinese philosophers. We didn't want to be influenced, but most of the times we are. Besides, our works are influenced by the nature, animals, all the livings - the smile of the flower and the grass, the solitude of the river, etc.

"There must have been a lot of things piling up higher and higher, and sometimes there's a point that gives out something very special, but that point is special because of what has been piling up to give out that moment.

"We're always with the nature. This is not necessarily the mountains or the countryside, sometimes it's just the grass or the flowers in the city, the stardust, the sky, the wind, and the rain." 

The last work in the trilogy that began with "Mirrors of Life" in 1995 when the company was founded, "Song of Pensive Holding" solidly proves that the first word of their name "Legend Lin Dance Theatre" is not a hyperbole.

On stage, the movement is slow, yet it never gets monotonous for even a minute. And when the pace picks up, it's even more striking.

As images of water, wind, water, fire, rice, peace, battle, community, and rituals pour in and then weave altogether, the two-hour no-intermission performance takes the audience away from the rhythm of everyday life into the serene world of nature - not for relaxation but for consideration on how nature is part of our world and yet we sometimes forget it.

Lin and her dancers also have many veteran artistic collaborators who help realising her original visions. Composer Chen-Ming Huang's soundscape is both riveting and soulful. Set designer Wang Chang keenly selects natural props whose lines and textures are captivating.

Lighting designer Fu-Chang Cheng shows masterful touches of lights, shadows, and hues that add both meaning and magic. Costume designer Tim Yip, an Oscar winner for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", deftly works in three strong colours - red, white, and black.

The perfectly unified outcome of this artistic collaboration - no element outshine the others, but all aesthetically support one another - is a unique dance-going experience that deeply touches the audience's heart and soul through their wide eyes and open ears.

To put it simpler, "Song of Pensive Holding" is one of the most extraordinary dance productions I've seen in my entire career.

"Song of Pensive Holding" is produced by National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Centre as their "Flagship Production of the Year", and proves how a national cultural centre can effectively promote local performing arts as creative economy.

Representatives from France's two prestigious performing arts festivals in Avignon and Lyon were also guests at the completely sold out world premiere last month at National Theatre, Taipei, and the production, which already has a French title "Chants de la destinee", would likely have a European premiere there soon.

The Southeast Asian premiere at Bangkok's International Festival of Dance and Music would not be a bad idea either.

From February 19 to March 28, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Centre will host the second Taiwan International Festival.

Subtitled "Vision of the Future", the festival will feature contemporary dance, music, and theatre works from all across the globe, including the world premiere of another highly-anticipated flagship production, Robert Wilson's "1433 - The Grand Voyage" in addition to "Listening to the River", a new work by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan.

More details will be here at xp, or you can log on to http://tif.ntch.edu.tw.

The writer's trip is supported by National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Centre. He wishes to thank Jeane Huang and Michael Chang-han Liu for all assistance.