TAO Dance Theatre adds two new gems—16 & 17—to the phenomenal Series of Numbers. In response to numbers 13 and 14, NRC headlined: “You can view Tao Ye’s choreographies as a celebration of differences, but they’re simply very beautiful.” In 16, sixteen dancers move as a dragon; 17 has a strong meditative effect.

16
16 is the fifteenth piece in choreographer Tao Ye’s Numerical Series. Inspired by the traditional Chinese Loong dance (dragon dance), it presents a curved line of 16 dancers who move and gesture to transmit energy from beginning to end. With dynamic use of space, the dancers move like a dragon: their spines push, pass, follow, twist and coil, guiding arms and legs in a dance harmonised with the body’s center of gravity. Since 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in China, 16 explores the suppleness of Eastern physicality, with hope to bring luck in the coming year.

17
17, the sixteenth work in the Numerical Series, builds on 7 and continues the experiment between sound and bodily movement. The concept originates from a visual language created by tonal motion, whose fluctuations and linear development are both auditory and physical. Seventeen dancers disperse and reconvene in seemingly chaotic ways. Sounds accompany every movement: falling with “hm,” suppression with “ng,” surprise with “ah”… Because the movements always synchronize with the sounds, a play emerges between two languages in counterpoint. This leads to a myriad of mixed and unconventional relationships. The resonance between sound and physicality aims to evoke profound dramatic and theatrical effects.