Taiwan Season: Trace of Belief
An ensemble dance reflecting on ritual, spirituality, and the will of the individual.
Billed as an ‘ensemble dance about collective ritual and individual will’ Trace of Belief was an interesting performance to watch. Choreographed by Hseih Yi-Chun for the Chun Dance company and taking inspiration from memories of temple processions this is a contemporary dance performance comprised of six bodies that explores faith, and its expression, through dance.
Starting in virtual silence disturbed only by the occasional rhythmic drop of water, the dancers move as one, swaying slowly with synched breaths. Eventually a dancer breaks from the group and returns, then another and another, the pattern repeating. Here we see a demonstration of the collective, of community, of religious tradition, and how our ever-changing world causes the occasional disruption.
Dressed identically in wide-legged blue trousers, the hems flecked with white, the men topless while the women sport skin toned sports bras to generate a similar look, with low dramatic lighting and moving as one it is easy to lose track of the individual as they become subsumed by the collective. As such the drifting from synchronised group sequences into smaller formations and solo dances with less regimented choreography echoes people’s desire to find individuality and the struggle that comes with reconciling modern senses of identity with more traditional religious structures.
The dancers are highly skilled with very few hiccups in their synchronicity, the group sequences often becoming somewhat hypnotic as a result. The use of facial expressions did not become a part of the piece until half way through and while I have no issues with the use of blank faces in dance in moderation when it serves a purpose, such as emphasising the collective over the individual, here the neutrality quickly started to feel over used as it was maintained for the solo moments as well.
The dancers movements were fluid and purposeful, perfect synchronization is nigh impossible but they pulled it off almost perfectly. On a technical level I can't fault Trace of Belief, I simply didn't enjoy it. The dancers are all clearly skilled and great at what they do, and I'm sure many fans of contemporary dance could glean something from it – indeed I recall one audience member who went up to the crew after the show to thank them for such a moving piece – it was simply, ultimately, not for me.
Attended: 13 August 2025
Edinburgh FRINGE: Venue 22
Dance Base
Choreographer:
Hsieh Yi-Chun
Photos taken from the Chun Dance website and instagram page
‘Merging past and present, sacred and secular, tradition and modernity, this sensitive and searching production surges with a heightened sense of spirituality.’