World Ballet Day 2022 Highlight: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan

“The Blue Marble” - the Earth seen from Apollo 17, 7 December 1972. NASA/Apollo 17 crew. Wikimedia Commons.

In its ninth year, World Ballet Day is one of those brilliant ideas that, once implemented, you would not want to be deprived of. On 2 November 2022, dance lovers all over the world could once again look forward to a day of free live streams of classes and rehearsals from over fifty ballet companies across six continents. Notably absent this year because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Russia’s Mariinsky and Bolshoi ballet companies.

It is always a treat to watch some of the great classical ballet companies like the Paris Opera Ballet or the Royal Ballet in class and rehearsals, but what makes World Ballet Day so special is the possibility to tune into companies across the globe. This year, TWoA especially enjoyed the chance to watch Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. Founded in 1973, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre is the oldest contemporary dance company in the Chinese-speaking world. It is named after the oldest known dance in China – Cloud Gate. Thanks to World Ballet Day, dance lovers could watch the unique training the Cloud Gate dancers receive: the company streamed a class that combined breathing, Tai Chi Daoyin and internal martial arts. The dancers also practice mediation, Qi Gong (an ancient breathing exercise), modern dance and ballet. You can find the whole class followed by a rehearsal on YouTube.