Renowned for the physicality of his stagecraft and absolute commitment to delivering top-shelf performances show after show, Liou was celebrated by critics and peers alike. His talents also saw him awarded a National Award for the Arts.
“Liou’s love and passion for dance were indescribable,” said Lin Hwai-min, founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. “He certainly deserved more fame and glory than he enjoyed throughout his career.”
According to Lin, his friend Liou was a Hakka hardneck, a term affectionately used to describe the dogged perseverance of such people when faced with challenges in life. “This was true in every way: Liou never gave up on dancing,” he said.
A graduate of Taiwan Normal University’s Department of Physical Education, Liou trained in gymnastics and swimming before falling under the sway of dance in 1967. He was impressed by Lin’s method of introducing modern techniques and joined him in setting up Cloud Gate, wearing a variety of hats in the organization.
Reaching a creative impasse, Liou traveled to the U.S. in 1982 and studied choreography from postmodern dancer Anna Halprin, as well as choreographers Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis.
After returning to Taiwan, Liou and Yang founded TDC in 1984. The couple began exploring new frontiers, incorporating qi, or natural energy, into their philosophy of choreography. They went on to create a string of groundbreaking works such as the acclaimed baby-oiled “Olympics,” which received the Award for Innovation in Performing Arts from Germany’s Ludwig Foundation in 1997. Other important pieces include “The Stone Carrying Old Man” and “Pingban.”
The 2007 production “Man and Object” involving dancers using foam sponges as a medium for communicating change while expressing thrust and mobility further underscored TDC’s reputation as a force in modern dance.
But two years later, Liou was diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent surgery. As he was wheeled into the operating theater, the Hakka hardneck uttered a line forever remembered by his fellow dancers: “If I wake up, I will dance on.”
Following the procedure, doctors gave him only two years to live—a prognosis spurring him to redouble efforts to produce more cutting-edge pieces. Last month, Liou and Yang delivered “Chakra Dance of the 30th Sound Waves” to rave reviews.
According to Yang, she will honor Liou’s memory by continuing to promote their extensive body of work. “His wish is for me to help audiences remember that life for him was dancing. The show must go on so audiences can forever appreciate his wide-ranging contributions,” she said. (SSC-JSM)
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