U-Theatre
Drumming in a peaceful state of one’s own
Drumming in a peaceful state of one’s own
Uniting East and the West, the ancient and the modern, the spiritual and the physical, U-Theatre has graced world stages and festivals over five continents and 30 countries, including Barbican Center (UK), Avignon Festival, Biennale de la Danse (France), December Dance Festival (Belgium), OzAsia Festival (Australia), Bergen Festival (Norway), Singapore Arts Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the Next Wave Festival at BAM (NYC) and many more.
U-Theatre established a unique management model and an integrated system of humanity education through its innovation on internationality, originality, and culture. Its integrated education system has been extended to collaboration with primary and high school, prison, and corporations.
The curriculum aims to help all recipients find their way to peace through classes of drumming, Gurdjieff movements, martial arts and meditation, the artistic core of U-Theatre training.
The Colours
Inspired by calligraphy, choreographer Huang Chih-Chun felt the rhythm and tempo of calligraphy and further explored the philosophy of ink:
“From the ink the five colors are equipped, and the colors will end in ink.”
Choreography by Liu Ruo-yu and Huang Chih-chun. The creation of The Colours come from the calligraphy work Lao Chuang by calligrapher Dong Yangzi. Huang Chih-Chun was inspired by calligraphy and felt the rhythm and tempo of calligraphy and further explored the philosophy of ink: “From the ink the five colors are equipped, and the colors will end in ink.”
It is Liu and Huang’s interpretations of selected philosophy of Taoist Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu that are at the heart of the six part piece – as they cleverly bring the beauty of those principal to life.
In terms of the physical performance of The Colours, artistic director Liu Ruo-yu used the Tai-chi training of the artists, the twirling and sinking movements to create different style from the past works.
Scenes of the production as below:
The final two sections are the most beautiful.
Part six, about Chuang Tzu’s butterfly, sees Adan, draped in white cloak, appearing to hover in a cosmic space, becoming one with nature;
while seven features a return to eternity with gongs suspended on filament from the rafters float above the floor and an incredibly vibrant painting is projected upward from the lip of the stage to the entire backdrop and then pours off the back and off the floor in torrents of colored streams into nothingness.
—Taipei Times
National Theatre Taipei, Taichung Theatre Opera House; Weiwuying Center for the performing Arts
Greece Odeon Herodus Atticus
Shanghai Culture Square Main Theatre
Beijing Natioanl Center for the Performing Arts
Oman Royal Opera House Muscat
Banlam Grand Theater
Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre, Shaanxi Performing Arts Center Opera House
Shenzhen Grand Theater
Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts Opera House, Chengdu Sichuan Grand Theatre, Hanzhou Theatre
Huichang Drama Town Season Opening
Sound Of the Ocean
Beyond Time
