Dancing Ink: A Choreographed Symphony

Inspired by the art of calligraphy, dancers in the much-anticipated performance Ink metamorphose into living brushstrokes. Through their bodies, they write and pay homage to the timelessness of this revered art form.

Sense of Wander: ★★★☆☆

The sinuous brushstroke, resembling a wispy trail of smoke, was written by Tong Yang-tze exclusively for Ink. Image courtesy of Huang Yi

TAIPEI, Taiwan — For centuries, the versatility of Chinese calligraphy has captivated its beholders. From the structured clerical script lishu and the elegant regular script kaishu to the expressive running script shinshu and the dynamic cursive script caoshu, calligraphy breathes life into Chinese writing.

Chinese calligraphy has not only enriched its own culture, but also influenced the calligraphy traditions of neighbouring civilisations (as mentioned in an earlier article “Challenging Principles: Exploring the Future of Chinese Calligraphy"). Calligraphy in East Asia, however, differs from its Western counterpart, mainly due to the use of brush.

The hair bush — whether it’s stiff, soft, or a mix of both — poses a challenge for those who are new to calligraphy, as they learn to control the flow of ink on paper. In addition, maintaining the appropriate pace of writing is crucial to prevent smudging the paper. But mastering this writing technique yields incredibly rewarding results: the brush becomes an extension of the calligrapher's hand. It breathes life into pictogram-inspired characters, and transform them into carriers of the calligrapher's emotions and expressions of style.

Among the various scripts developed throughout history, the cursive script, or caoshu, best embodies the spirit of the era. Originally served as a shorthand script for faster writing, caoshu can be challenging to decipher for those unfamiliar with its versatile and altered character structures. Only those who have studied the script can fully appreciate the written words.

It’s worth highlighting that the caoshu developed by the renowned Tang calligraphers Zhang Xu (c. 675-750) and Huai Su (c.737-799) is significant for its artistic expression rather than legibility. When caoshu is well executed, its inherent fluidity and abstract qualities resonate with the aesthetics of the 21st-century. This is probably why contemporary calligraphers and artists alike have embraced this particular script.

But what happens when calligraphy becomes a source of inspiration for dance? In June, a much-anticipated spectacle, Ink, took the stage at Taipei’s National Theatre, following its successful debut at the National Taichung Theater. This production united the creative talents of choreographer and dancer Huang Yi, calligrapher Tong Yang-tze, and the visual artist Ryoichi Kurokawa, seamlessly merging their disciplines into a mesmerising performance.

At the heart of this show lies its muse, Tong Yang-Tze, a Taiwanese calligrapher known for her monumental work in caoshu. Her distinctive style — celebrated for its boldness, vigour, and unrestrained qualities — is a fusion of Western painting theories and Chinese calligraphy traditions. By drawing inspiration from one of Tong's oeuvres, Silent Symphony, Huang Yi orchestrated a breathtaking symphony where dancers became the embodiment of living brushstrokes.

Dancers’ movements in Ink is enhanced by the calligraphic projections. Image courtesy of Huang Yi

Each movement cuts through the air with powerful and punctuated lines. The dancers’ bodies skillfully evoke the curves or "wan" through their graceful twists and turns, while a simple act of standing up conjured the vertical stroke or "shu" essential to the principles of Chinese calligraphy.

The ephemeral nature of the choreography is enhanced by Ryoichi Kurokawa’s multimedia projections. These visually captivating elements can be observed on two screens — one serving as a backdrop, whereas the other separates the audience from the dancers on stage. While the projection of Tong's calligraphy enhances the dance performance, there are instances where the dimly-lit stage affects the visibility of the black-clad dancers, especially for audience seated in the back.

What intrigues me about this performance is the part that showcases the captivating dance with robots, reminiscent of Huang Yi's groundbreaking duet between humans and machines in 2012. As the dancer performs with the robots onstage, it becomes clear that the inherent flexibility of the human body stands in stark juxtaposition to the rigidity and limited motions of the machines. This interplay seems to extend beyond the dichotomy of natural and artificial, encompassing the realms of tradition (calligraphy) and innovation (technology).

The climax of the show arrives when the dancers momentarily step aside, shifting the audience's focus to a giant screen ablazed with bold and commanding white strokes, reminiscent of lightning strikes. In this moment, we witness Tong's calligraphy undergo captivating transformations — distortions, twists, overlaps, juxtapositions, dissolutions, zoom-ins, zoom-outs, elongations, expansions, and compressions. The tension of these metamorphoses is intensified by an evocative musical score that accompanies the visual spectacle.

Though experimental in nature, this visual exploration immerses the audience in the world of the calligrapher, inviting us to experience the writing process. It also reshapes the observer’s perception of this ancient art form — calligraphy is no longer viewed as a flat medium, but elevated to a three-dimensional entity, where time and space converge.

Part of the show features a dancer dancing with two robots. Image courtesy of Huang Yi

As a fan of Tong's work, I attended this performance with great curiosity, eager to witness how dance could transcend its physicality. Deep down, I also wondered if Tong's original work can possibly be surpassed when expressed in another art form.

In fact, the relationship between dance and calligraphy has been explored since ancient times, as far back as the Tang dynasty (618—907). According to an anecdote, Tang-dynasty calligrapher Zhang Xu attained a deep understanding of cursive writing by observing the sword-dance performed by Lady Gong Sun. Zhang Xu eventually went on to earning the revered title of Caoshen, meaning "The Divine Cursive Calligrapher."

Taiwan’s dance troupe, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, is acclaimed for its iconic production, Cursive: A Trilogy. Debuted in 2002, Cloud Gate's Cursive beautifully captures the fluidity of brushstrokes, infusing the bodily act of writing with a touch of poetry. In its sequel, Cursive II, choreographer Lin Hwai-Min ventures beyond the form of written words and delves into the void between the characters, creating an ethereal landscape that evokes a sense of wonder often experienced by beholders.

Undoubtedly, Ink held great visual appeal, but the bodily interpretation of calligraphy merely scratched the surface, leaving the audience longing for a deeper exploration that delves beneath these inked letters. It would be intriguing to witness how the dancers explore themes such as the nuanced "five colours" or densities of ink, along with the interplay of "fullness" and "void." These two characteristics of Chinese calligraphy hold the potential to evoke a more profound and transformative experience, enriching the show with depth and complexity.

Dance captures the grace, rhythm, and fluidity of body movements, while calligraphy can be perceived as the artful portrayal of the body's actions on paper. With that in mind, perhaps we can experience Ink in a fresh light by recognising the accompanying calligraphic projections as integral members of the dance troupe. They actively contribute to the visual choreography of the performance, integrating with the dancers to create a journey that never ends.

HUANG Yi ✕ TONG Yang-tze ✕ Ryoichi Kurokawa: Ink was staged at the National Theatre in Taipei on June 16, 2023.