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13 Tongues

Country of Origin: Taiwan, R.O.C.

Claimed as “Asia’s leading contemporary dance theater” (The Times), Cloud Gate has set out to engage with local history, culture, and subject matter through classical, folk, and modern dance for over 50 years. Cloud Gate combines their practices in Qi Gong, internal martial arts, modern dance, street dance, and ballet—transforming ancient aesthetics into a thrilling celebration of motion.

Cloud Gate shares 13 Tongues by artistic director CHENG Tsung-lung, a work based on Bangka/Wanhua, the oldest district of Taipei, and legendary 1960s street artist “Thirteen Tongues”. Through imagination and storytelling recalling childhood memories and visual art, 13 Tongues evokes centuries of human endeavor, behavior, and belief.

Photo credit LEE Chia-yeh