【Arts & Culture】Summer Spectacle: Cloud Gate 40’s “Rice” Free Outdoor Performance

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network Editorial Team
 

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s outdoor performances have officially reached their 20th anniversary, covering both large and small towns across Taiwan and drawing in over a million spectators. This year’s outdoor series begins on July 18 and will feature free performances of “Rice” over three consecutive weekends in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Hualien.

For twenty consecutive years, Cathay Financial Holdings has sponsored Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s outdoor performances. Each show attracts tens of thousands of spectators who sit neatly on the ground, refrain from taking photos or making noise during the performance, and leave no litter behind — an impressive display of audience etiquette that has become a cultural pride for Taiwan. This year’s performance will feature Cloud Gate’s 40th-anniversary piece “Rice,” which projects images of the four-season rice fields of Chishang, Taitung onto the stage as dancers move, evoking hope, emotion, and a powerful sense of peace — a tribute to the land. The piece has received high praise during past performances in London, Dresden, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Moscow, and will next be staged in New York and Paris. Starting July 18, for three consecutive Saturdays at 7:30 PM, the performances will be held at Taipei’s National Theater and Concert Hall Plaza, Kaohsiung Cultural Center Outdoor Amphitheater, and Hualien Stadium, and all are welcome to attend for free.

In addition to the performances, “Family Movement & Health Day” events will be held the day before each show (July 17, 24, and 31), inviting families — including multiple generations — to experience movement activities together. Register online and join Cloud Gate Classroom instructors for fun group dancing. There’s also a “Friends Reunion” event for those who have attended past Cloud Gate outdoor shows. Register your contact details online, and if eligible, you can exchange for a limited “20th Anniversary Handmade Candy” co-produced by Cloud Gate and Cathay Financial at the Kaohsiung and Taipei shows. In addition to traveling and enjoying water activities this summer, why not spend a breezy evening enjoying a Cloud Gate Dance Theatre performance?