After watching the dance Haze in Brooklyn Academy of Music(BAM), I realized that modern dance was not only for entertaining, but also for conveying thoughts.

Haze is performed by Beijing Dance Theater and choreographed by Yuanyuan Wang. Wang is well-known for her combination of classic ballet and modern dance. Haze is “accompanied by musical selections from Henryk Górecki (including the haunting, elegiac Third Symphony) and Biosphere’s ambient electronic soundscapes”(BAM).

The word haze means a slight obscuration of the lower atmosphere, typically caused by fine suspended particles. Haze, here, is a metaphor for people’s confusion on modern economic and environmental crises. Choreography of the dance shows how people struggle and seek for reality among obscurity, and eventually find the way to the certainty. The dancers dance on a special elastic stage which seems like a huge sponge. This gives a unique effect on the whole dance and brings the audience a new feel.

This dance is very different from the “Water Stains on the Wall” I watched before, which has elements of Tai-chi. The motions in Haze looks more elegant, similar to the motions in ballet. The dancers extend their body fully, which looks very beautiful. I most like the part when they fall down one by one. They fall in a very fancy way. I also like the part when they are walking cautiously. It seems like they are seeking for new ways and trying new field, which probably stands for their struggle in the uncertain situation which I mentioned previously. At the ending part, all dancers are standing silently while watching the snow-like particles falling down. Are they waiting or meditating? I don’t exactly know. You can get further information about Haze and Beijing Dance theater here.

If you are interested in Asian dance, you should not miss “Water Stains on the Wall”, which is performed by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, choreographed by Lin Hwai-min. This show will take place in Brooklyn Academy of Music(BAM) from Oct 12-15. BAM is currently celebrating its 150th Anniversary. All dancers wear sheer skirt-like costume. When they jump and spin, the “skirts” are fluttering, which create a great visual effect. In “Water Stains on the Wall”, Lin’s choreography combines chi kung and modern dance, using body movements to embody calligraphic art. This dance blends hard and soft motions, and integrate quick and slow moves. The mix of opposite elements does not produce any conflict, but comes out very naturally. I really like this form of dance which fuses the Eastern and Western dancing techniques and concepts and produces a new unique style. Whenever I see a great piece of dance show, I just have the impulse to become a dancer so that I would not just be an audience, but I would be a member of the show who is presenting this beautiful art. You can find some information about this show here. You can also find other events in BAM in that link.