ROC first lady Chow Mei-ching attended the opening night of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s U.K. tour in London Nov. 9, joining an audience of around 1,500 in handing the troupe a standing ovation for its latest production “White.”
Chow, who travelled with Cloud Gate from Taipei in her capacity as honorary group leader, was flanked by U.S.-based daughters Ma Wei-chung and Ma Yuan-chung throughout the performance at Sadler Well’s Theatre.
Following the show, Chow and ROC Representative to the U.K. Chang Siao-yue went backstage to congratulate internationally renowned Taiwan choreographer Lin Hwai-min and his dancers. The pair were well-received, with Cloud Gate members thanking them for their support.
“It is a great honor to have the first lady as our leader,” Lin said. “She is a special person and great supporter of the arts in Taiwan.”
At the post-event function, Alistair Spalding, artistic director of Sadler Well’s, welcomed Chow and praised her for promoting Taiwan-U.K. cultural exchanges.
In response, the first lady presented Spalding and other Sadler Well’s representatives with prints of the painting “Along the River During the Ch’ing-ming Festival” and DVDs of Taiwan performing arts groups.
Cloud Gate and Sadler Well’s are no strangers, with the Taipei-based group performing at the venue five times since 1999. “We consider Sadler Well’s our home away from home and it is a great honor to grace the stage of what is surely the top theater in London,” Lin said.
Spalding lauded Lin for his troupe’s efforts to consistently deliver a form of dramatic art that spans East and West while embracing universal humanity.
“Tonight’s performance was brilliant and we hope it gave British audiences unique insight into the world of Taiwanese theater,” he said.
Cloud Gate’s “White” is a three-part work that challenges viewer perceptions of the color while presenting the human body in its purest form. It was chosen to headline Sadler Well’s Out of Asia Season alongside signature productions by groups from Bangladesh, Japan, Vietnam and mainland China.
Other attendees at the event include All-Party Parliamentary British-Taiwanese Group Chairman Lord Faulkner, Vice Chairman Greg Hands MP and fellow members Lord Granchester, Lord Harrison, Lord Kilclooney and Lord Steel. They were joined by Taiwan Britain Business Council Chairman Sir Thomas Harris, British Council Global Network Director Adrian Greer, British Museum Asian Department Keeper Jan Stuart and a host of leading figures from the arts, diplomatic and industry circles.
Cloud Dance Theatre will perform the final date on its U.K. tour Nov. 12 before returning to Taiwan and beginning rehearsals for next January’s “Water Stains on the Wall” shows in Singapore.
Write to John Scott Marchant at js_marchant@mail.gio.gov.tw