Flowing

In Eastern cultures, the image of the koi carp represents wealth and auspiciousness, embodying people’s hope for a smooth life and a good future. Flowing employs the koi carp as its main image – one often seen daily in Taiwan, be it in the landscaping of koi ponds, or ornamental fish tanks – transforming everyday observations into a contemporary movement vocabulary.

Inspired by the koi carp ink paintings of Cai Jiu-Wu, and reinterpreting local folk traditions with elements of contemporary popular culture, the choreography interweaves reality and illusion, the aesthetics of the physical and the visual. The work uses the solar terms of the lunar calendar as its structure, depicting the passage of time and the endless cycling of all things: the dancers’ bodies at times change like flowing water, at times become a school of fish, exploring the rhythm of life between gathering and scattering, swimming in groups or alone – coming together and separating as humans do.

More than just a tribute to traditional culture, Flowing offers a contemporary perspective on time, human emotions, and life itself, sketching a lithe poem about about flow and movement, about change and connection.