In ancient folklore, a lunar halo is a sign foreboding changes, while scientifically it appears when the moonlight is refracted by 22 degrees through millions of ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. In his new dance piece 22° Lunar Halo, CHENG Tsung-lung draws on this natural phenomenon to explore the themes of human anxieties, struggles, desires, love and loneliness in the lunatic, ever-changing world. Set to the music by the internationally renowned Icelandic band Sigur Rós, CHENG unfolds an exotic modern fable, as 14 dancers, like mystic animals, squeeze one another, creep, mate, fight, and kill on the deep-black mirror floor.

CHENG Tsung-lung, Artistic Director

From hawking slippers on the streets of Taipei in childhood, CHENG Tsung-lung has grown into the Artistic Director of Cloud Gate 2 since 2014.  Inspired by the dynamics of street life, his breathtaking works have been seen as a fresh and unique voice in the international dance world. He will become the Artistic Director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan since 2020 after LIN Hwai-min’s retirement. 

Cloud Gate 2

Cloud Gate 2 was founded in 1999 by LIN Hwai-min, focusing on showcasing talented young choreographers and dancers from Taiwan. Since 2014, choreographer CHENG Tsung-lung has served as its artistic director. The Company has been acclaimed in venues and festivals worldwide, including Fall for Dance Festival and the Joyce Theater in New York; Sadler’s Wells in London; Internationale Tanzmesse NRW in Düsseldorf; Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay in Singapore; and major cities in China. It also reaches out to thousands of people by holding free outdoor performances and residency programs on campuses and in grass-roots communities in Taiwan.

Choreography / CHENG Tsung-lung

Music / Sigur Rós 

Music Direction / Kjartan Holm

Visual Design and Direction / Jam WU

Lighting Design / SHEN Po-hung

Video Design / Ethan WANG

Costume Design / CHEN Shao-yen

Commissioned by National Performing Arts Center, Taiwan R.O.C. - National Taichung Theater, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), National Theater & Concert Hall