Cloud Gate return to KL with a restaging of last February’s epic ‘Songs of the Wanderers’, but the renowned Taiwanese dance troupe will be joined this time by Georgia’s Rustavi Ensemble. Ancient religious rites found across Asia are transformed into a powerful dance display by the famed dance troupe’s founder Lin Hwai-min. Coupled with soulful Georgian folk songs by the Rustavi Choir, Herman Hesse’s interpretation of Siddhartha’s quest for enlightenment is brought to life on stage by 3.5 tonnes of saffron yellow rice grains.
Choreographed by Lin in 1994 after his journey to Bodhgaya (where Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree), this 90-minute piece focuses on the practice of asceticism, the serene flow of a river, and the pursuit of tranquillity. Expect a haunting portrayal of spirituality and reverence in what should be a dance performance that is both aesthetically pleasing to the eye and soothing to the soul.