Since its founding in 2Oo8， TAO Dance Theater has pushed the limits of physical movement-now it's inviting amateurs to do the same

人人都是舞者：在，探索身體表達的無盡可能

0 nstage，a3O-meterU-shapedcorridor glowsundera wash of cold white light. The audience lines both sides， siting cross-legged and silent， just inches awayfromtheperformers.Aloopingelectronic soundtrack—steady，distant，detached—starts tohumoverhead，thenthebodiesappear.First， one by one， then in pairs， then in groups.Like the music， the bodies form a constant， kinetic loop; butnotwopeoplewalkthesame.Amaninblack withashavedheadspinsashemoves，hisbody whirling like a human gyroscope. A long-haired womanmarchesahead，pausingto throw invisible high-fives into the air， grinning to no one. Another form follows，hunched low， hands on ankles， spine curled，bouncingforward instiff，zombie-likejolts

Thisunconventional display was part of “TheWorldofMovements- InfiniteWalking

performedbythe TAODanceTheaterat

Shanghai'sWestBund Theatreinmid-April. Clipsofthetwo-dayperformance soonwent viralandignitedfiercedebateonline.Some commenters dismissed the spectacleas bizarre， even unsettling. Others hailed itasa liberating expression of individuality， brimming with life. Atadiscussionpriortothe event， Tao Ye， co-founder of TAO Dance Theater， set the tone， asking rhetorically： “Why can’twe walk like this？” adding，“Walking is the first movement we learn...Yet somehow， almost everyone ends up walking the same way. Art lets us imagine other ways of moving， other ways of being. How you walk， how you live， should be yours to define.\" Since its founding in 2Oo8 by Tao，Duan Ni，andWangHao，TAODanceTheaterhas becomeoneofChina'smostinternationally

recognizedcontemporarydancecompanies. Bestknown forits\"Numerical Series，\" each showcasingatestofthebody'slimitsand representedbyadigit，thetroupehastoured morethan4Ocountriesacrossfivecontinents， performingatoverahundredartfestivals worldwide.Theserieshasbeenfeaturedin The NewYorkTimesseveral timesandwasnamed one of the world's top 10 dance performancesby TimeOutNewYorkin 2014.

In2023，TAOwasawardedtheSilverLion forDanceat the Venice Biennale，making Tao andDuanthe first Chineseartiststoearnthis honor，aswell asthe first Chineseawardeessince composerTanDunwontheGoldenLionfor LifetimeAchievementinMusicin2017

While the precisely choreographed \"Numerical Series”istheworkofthe2O orsoprofessionally traineddancersofTAO'smainensemble，TAO1 “TheWorld ofMovements\" seriestakesa different tack，beingtheproductofTAO2，asecond ensemble made up of dancers without traditional professional training. This more ad hoc group was founded in August 2024 with one simple mission：\"Dance for you， dance for yourself.\" Embracing thebelief that thebody isthe first medium of artisticexpressionandthetool at theheartof theater itself， TAO 2'screative visionisrooted inadvocating forperformance as daily life and bringing this philosophy to a wider， more diverse group of people from all walks of society.

One recent adherent is Huang Shili，a 64-year old from Jingzhou，Hubei province.During \"Infinite Walking，” a man in neon green pants dragged heracrossthe floorbytheankles，her body limp， her gaze fixed on the ceiling. \"I'm already in my 6Os—I never imagined I

could joina professional companyand perform， Huang，who joined TAO 2 last year and has no formal dance experience， tells TWOC.“Butwhen I saw they were accepting people aged 18 to 80， I thought， why not give ita try？\"

Aretired staffmember from Jingzhou's Yangtze University，Huang saysher love of dance began inchildhood.“AfterIretired，I joinedanamateur folk dance troupe in Jingzhou.We mostly danced for fun， though we did perform on various stages， and even appeared on CCTV. But contemporary dance like TAO's？ Ihad never experienced anything likeit before.\"

TAO2 is open to anyone of adult age who is physically fit to dance，regardless of gender， profession，ornationality.Itsaudition criterion centers around one premise：being different， valuing eachdancer'suniquenessand individual expression overuniformity.

\"In folk dance， we're taught to hold everything tight，tuck in thebelly，lift the chest，keep a

\"You can really use every part of your body-your nose， ears， hair， toes，fingers，feet， ankles. Each of them can draw a circle， a line， even spin， just like that！\"

perfectlyuprightposture，\"Huang says.“But contemporary dance is completely different. You have to relax， sink your weight，and let go. It challenged everythingI thoughtIknew.How could you possibly dance well like that？\"

“At first，Ijust followed the teacher's guidance and tried to loosen up.Gradually，Istarted to feel it.And onceI did， it was incredible-my whole body felt more open， likemy energy was flowing more freely，”she says，recalling the experience with wonder.‘I realized that when you dance in a relaxed way， you can really use every part of your body—your nose，ears，hair， toes，fingers，feet， ankles.Eachofthemcandrawacircle，aline，even spin，justlike that！\"

As well as blurring the line between professional andnon-professional dancers，TAO2's performances also look to break the boundary separatingperformerfromaudience.Partof this is done via the conscious democratization of its performances，which often take place in museums， outdoor spaces，and local communities.The goal is notmerely to perform，but to awaken each body's kaleidoscopic potential.

The co-founder Tao traces the concept behind “The World of Movements”back to hischildhood memories of watching wildlife documentaries. “Every animal has its own specific way of moving，”he tells TWOC.“Their paths intertwine and formakind of coexistence.”Hebelieves human life， shaped by countless gestures that express both individualityand interdependence， is no different.Yet for too long，Tao says，human movementhas been labeled， categorized，and defined， separating it fromthebody'snatural senseofawareness.

With“TheWorldofMovements，” TAO Dance Theater invitesaudiences torediscover thebody asa living，expressive medium，and perhaps，toreimaginewhatitmeanstomove，to feel，and tobe.

Another participant at April's event was 43-year-old Jin Xiaoyan from Shanghai.For her， awakening thebody'spotential carriesadifferent weight.“I’min my 4Os—a stage of life that can feel abit awkward，” she tells TWOC.“I'm not young and fearless anymore.SometimesIhesitate. thinking I'm too old to try something new.But my son encouraged me.He said，‘Mom，just give it a go.How would you know you'd be chosen if you don't even try？

At “Infinite Walking，” she paired with another performer to flip back-to-back in smooth，

\"I can't accept fading arway in midlife. I'll do everything I can to push myself， try new things， and break through my limits.That's what gives my life meaning.\"

continuoussomersaults，rollinglikeahuman pinwheel.Despite her apparent confidence and agility，Jin has for the past two decades struggled tomaintainherphysical independence.Aformer martial arts athlete，Jin suffereda dislocated hip during training in 2OO1，whichleft herunable to walkand forced the end of herprofessional career. Evenafter surgery， the injurybrought long-term complications and chronic pain.“The doctor basically sentenced my leg to death，”she tells TWOC.“They told me I'd likely be in a wheelchair soon.I'm 43， but my leg'scondition is more likethat ofa 6O-year-old's.\"

Still，Jin refuses to give in.“I can't accept fading awayin midlife，” she says.“I'll do everythingIcan topush myself， trynew things，and break through my limits.That's what givesmy life meaning.

Though the rehearsals took her to the brink， Jin continued to test the limits of what her body could do.“Each of us had to come up with our own walking movement.It was a process of cocreation，” she tells TWOC.“I really struggled withthat part.AndbecauseIhavea stubborn streak，Ichallengedmyselftodo thehuman pinwheel， one of the most difficult movements.It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.Ijust thought， Ican do it，I want to try.\"

The ensemble had just two days of rehearsals. On the second dayalone，Jin trained for13 hours. \"My legs were aching， my energy was gone，” she says.“But as long as the pain was within my threshold，I didn't want to give up.\"

The stage performance of“Infinite Walking\"

is only the most recent of many unforgettable chapterswithin“TheWorldofMovements\" series.Earlier iterations of the project， such asatTianmuli ArtMuseuminHangzhou last September，and the MuseumofArtPudong （MAP）in Shanghai this Februaryand March， offered even more immersive experiences.

In these“l(fā)iving art” environments，movement became a way to connect with oneself and with others.TheperformanceatMAP， for example， was designed as a distilled version of modern life： Sofas，beds， greenery，and pristine white flooring evoked the image of a shared “home.\"Visitors were asked to remove their shoes before entering the space，where they could lie down，move freely， or evensitand work ontheirlaptops.With everyonedressed incasual， everydayclothing，it quicklybecamedifficulttotell thedancersfrom theparticipants.The latter were free to rest or observeatany time，and the only guiding rule was to“protect the body，” ensuring everyone could engageattheir ownpaceand comfort.Interaction was therefore something notimposed; rather， it emerged naturally through the presence and choices of each person.

In addition， simple games invited quiet selfawareness and connection.In the“mirror game，” forinstance，aperformermightsilentlyimitate avisitor'smovements，revealing unconscious habits;while the“puppet game” invited others to place the limbs of dancers oraudience members in different positions.Others leapt onto a trampoline withina double-bed frame， expressing themselves however they liked，

withoutchoreography orjudgment.Finally， the“seven-senses”portion invited visitors to be blindfolded， takingaway their dominant sense， sight，before being guided by dancers through the gallery， forcing them to tune into other modes ofperception.This free，ruleless improvisation becameaprimal formof expression，and the space overflowed with instinctive motion and unfiltered emotion.

WuYanjun，a 38-year-old theaterdirector and TAO 2 dancer， recalls how one of the performance'smost powerful moments took place during this blindfold session in Shanghai.At one point，an audience memberwhomhe had been working with stopped near the museum's glass wall overlooking the HuangpuRiver.‘After the session， Iaskedhim to openhis eyes very slowly，”Wu tells TWOC.“As he did，I saw his tears quietly fall.\"

Sensing thatsomethingdeep had surfaced，Wu offeredspaceratherthanconversation.Later，Wu watched as the man tried to rejoin the group， only to turnawayand walk intoa quietcorner，where he suddenly broke down， sobbing.

“That moment felt like a powerful connection， wordlessbutdeeplyresonant，”Wurecalls.“You could feel his pain，his pressure，his release.And yet， no wordsand eye contact were needed，just a sharedemotionalcurrentthatneitherofuscould fully explain.”

ForGeHui，32，fromHangzhou，“TheWorld ofMovements”isarevelation.She firstattended theperformance asanaudience memberin 2024，drawn to the open，accepting atmosphere where movement was free，spontaneous， and deeply personal.

At the time， she was recovering fromapersonal crisisand emotional trauma，feeling thatcertain partsofherbody were“blocked.\"“Through movement，Ibegan to release thingsIcouldn't put into words，” she tells TWOC.\"It helped me reconnect with parts of myself Ihad long ignored.\"

The experience was so powerful that she joined TAO2 as a performer earlier this year.“Irealized thatmovement had healed me，”she says，“and now Iwant to share thatsame healing with others，and that’sprobablythe meaningbehind‘TheWorld of Movements'—to truly connect the body， mind，and spirit of oneselfandothersthroughdance.\"l