Concern for each member of his ensemble
Chang Chien-chih, a dancer in Tsai’s B.Dance company, was a classmate of Tsai’s in high school and college. But they didn’t start collaborating closely until 2014’s Floating Flowers. B.Dance’s manager Hsu Tzu-yin says, “I feel it’s marvelous that after Chien-chih and Po-cheng started to work together, Po-cheng gradually drew out another side of Chien-chih’s personality. In return, Chien-chih gives him a lot of feedback during the process of creating and refining the choreography.”
Dancer Chang Yu, another B.Dance member, hid much of her personality as a child, unwilling to expose her inner self. Once, during a dress rehearsal, Tsai wanted to uncover deeper levels of her psyche, so he said, “OK, let’s turn off the lights.” She collapsed in tears: “I don’t know why, but after my feelings were exposed I became better able to bring my emotions to dance.” Chang describes the epiphany she had then as being one of the major turning points in her career as a dancer. And it was something that dance programs in educational institutions couldn’t give her, because the breakthrough required someone with acute sensitivity and observational powers to help her achieve it.
“Each of our works has some solos,” notes B.Dance dancer Huang I-han. “During the adagio combinations, I’m more relaxed, conveying a sense of mystery, and then during the allegro segments I can let out the more edgy and impetuous side of me. I feel that Po-cheng gives dancers a lot of space to try things and make personal breakthroughs. It’s a comfortable collaboration.”
Describing the rehearsal process, Chang Chien-chih notes that Tsai always prepares himself well before calling everyone in to practice. “After we dancers arrive at the practice space, the rehearsal that was originally scheduled for three hours usually can be handled in an hour and a half.” Tsai is always able to make the most efficient use of his time when preparing to perform dances with high degrees of difficulty—a skill that requires both a mastery of the choreography and an excellent ability to observe each dancer closely.
And when B.Dance goes on tour, the company provides for the dancers’ accommodation and meals better than most, because Tsai wants dancers to focus on dancing. The company thus aims to offer all the behind-the-scenes support it can. Trust and mutual respect among company members is slowly built from these small details.
The B.Dance company invited the French choreographer Antonin Comestaz to come to Taiwan to teach. (photo by Ray Chao)