Dancers explore the potential of the body

Tao Dance Theater performs '8'. [Photo by Zhang Shengbin/China Daily]

China's TAO Dance Theater returned to London's Sadler's Wells for two performances on Monday and Tuesday, showcasing its signature minimalist techniques that explore the potential and extremes of the human body.

TAO Dance Theater, which has performed on three previous occasions at Sadler's Wells and toured in more than 40 countries, brought its dances '6' and '8' to the London audience.

The two dances are part of a series known as the Series of the Straight Line choreographed by Tao Ye. They feature six and eight dancers respectively, formed into one neat line onstage. They use repetition to reduce various movements toward a state that is pure and minimal in form, akin to the natural shape of the body.

"Dancing is the language of the body. Hence, it is an apt medium to depict the body's full potential," said Tao.

The London performances are part of a five-country European tour that will also take the show to Serbia,Germany, Spain and Hungary.

The dance '6' features six dancers in a line carrying out an apparently repetitive, highly demanding sequence of movements. The dancers' upper bodies and shoulders circle. Their heads are bent to the ground or raised to the sky. Their rigid steps and turns alternate with loose swaying movements.

The dance '8', the last in the full series, presents the repetitious ritual of nature, with movement accumulating to create rational understanding of the bodies, moving toward a realization of what the body can do if it reaches its full potential.

In the performance, the dancers lie on the floor. Their bodies are therefore further restricted and their movements limited to the range of their spines. Under this limitation, the abilities of the dancers' bodies can be further explored.

TAO Dance Theater was founded in 2008 and quickly became one of the most sought-after contemporary dance companies in China and internationally.

The company's performances have won great media praise. China Art Review said the group is "building its own physicality and aesthetic. With the wisdom of a philosopher, they elevate mere 'human' presence to the metaphysical level."