B.DANCE
constantly surprise and never stand still
constantly surprise and never stand still
B.DANCE was founded in 2014 by choreographer and artistic director Tsai Po-Cheng, who was named one of the world’s most promising choreographers by German magazine tanz in both 2017 and 2018. The company’s style combines martial arts, other Asian movement traditions, and street dance with a contemporary kinetic vocabulary, and has showcased its work to captive audiences worldwide.
Floating Flowers
Floating Flowers is inspired by a traditional Taiwanese religious celebration that takes place at the Ghost Festival, one of the most beautiful and popular Buddhist ceremonies in the country.
Floating Flowers is inspired by a traditional Taiwanese religious celebration that takes place at the Ghost Festival, one of the most beautiful and popular Buddhist ceremonies in the country. Floating lanterns placed on water are meant to worship deities, to send away bad luck, and bring happiness. In Southeast Asian culture, the lanterns are to deliver wishes and pay your respects to the deceased.
In Po-Cheng Tsai’s childhood, it was tradition for his father to take him to the festival, lead him to write his wishes on the lanterns, to set them adrift and to watch them flow down the river. Since his father’s passing, Tsai lost faith in the ritual of his childhood, but was inspired to created Floating Flowers to honor his father and free himself from memories that haunted him.
Appearing to waft gracefully above water, the dancers are wrapped in vaporous muslins which represent floating lanterns. The choreography is refreshingly positive and optimistic. By combining traditional Asian movements and martial arts with contemporary dance, B.DANCE offers a theatrical, physical, and emotional performance, not without a touch humor!
Artistic director, Choreography｜TSAI Po-cheng Composition｜Rockid LEE
Lighting and Set Designer｜Otto CHANG
Video Designer｜CHANG Po-chih, DENG Yon-yun
The transformations, the moves and forms within the dance are myriad and amazing. A constant creation of ideas, creativity and flowing, streaming energy.
Outstanding stuff, Floating Flowers is not only a highlight of the dance on offer at this year’s Fringe, it is a highlight of the dance presented to Edinburgh audiences this year.
—Robert Dow, The Wee Review
01: Cholet (FR) - ALICE
03: Lanester (FR) - Floating Flowers
06: Creteil (FR) - ALICE
07: Creteil (FR) - ALICE
14: Annemasse (FR) - ALICE
15: Annemasse (FR) - ALICE
17: Barcelona (ES) - Floating Flowers
18: Barcelona (ES) - Floating Flowers
20: Esch-sur-Alzette (LU) - Floating Flowers
09: Aschaffenburg (DE) - Floating Flowers
11: Lieusaint (FR) - ALICE
12: Lieusaint (FR) - ALICE
14: Noisy-le-Grand (FR) - ALICE
18: Meaux (FR) - ALICE
23: Bonn (DE) - Floating Flowers
24: Neuss (DE) - Floating Flowers
27: Monthey (CH) - ALICE
30: Merignac (FR) - ALICE
Toured in Europe: Theater Espace Jean Legendre, Compiegne (FR), L’Archipel, Fouesnant (FR), Conservatory Jean-Baptiste Lully, Puteaux (FR),Théâtre Louis Escande, Macon (FR), Theatre Crochetan, Monthey (CH), Théâtre Chateau Rouge, Annemasse (FR), Centre des bords de Marne, Le Perreux-sur-Marne (FR), Théâtre Le Pin Galant, Mérignac (FR).
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts - Weiwuying, Taiwan