TAO Dance Theater is a full-time contemporary dance company founded by Tao Ye, Duan Ni and Wang Hao in 2008. It is the first contemporary dance company in China to be invited to perform at the Lincoln Center Festival in the United States, the Edinburgh International Festival in the United Kingdom, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and Théâtre de la Ville in France. They have also been invited to perform at the American Dance Festival (ADF), where they served as resident artists. The Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, UK, has commissioned five works from the company and invited them to perform in London six times.
The projects of Numerical Series, created by the company with a simple creative concept and direct physicality, have toured five continents, more than 40 countries and over 100 art festivals. The company has garnered widespread attention from people from all walks of life, becoming one of the most sought-after Chinese contemporary dance companies on the international stage.
In terms of the diverse cross-border exploration in the performing arts, the company's works from the "Numerical Series" and the “Nun-Numerical Series" have been invited to perform cross-border in various spaces, such as the ruins of the ancient Roman Colosseum, the Paris Fashion Week runway, the ArtScience Museum in Singapore, the stage by the sea in Aranya, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall, the Beijing Design Week, and the Powerlong Museum. In 2015, during Paris Fashion Week, TAO Dance Theater was invited to collaborate live with the Y-3 brand of Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. In 2019, TAO Dance Theater co-produced Exchange Project with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and launched a tour in more than ten cities across the Taiwan Strait. In 2021, the self-produced piece Endless Walk repeatedly topped the Tiktok trending list for several weeks. Its unique, liberating way of walking inspired tens of thousands of netizens to imitate it, with related videos garnering nearly 500 million views. In 2023, Tao Ye, the artistic director of TAO Dance Theater, was invited to choreograph the work "15" from Numerical Series for the dancers of Netherlands Dance Theater 1 (NDT 1) and launched a tour in several cities in the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
In 2021, TAO Dance Theater established the DNTY—an artistic extension brand and the TAO Dance Studio. The DNTY brand, with its design philosophy that "Clothes should follow the Body", showcases the artistic inspirations of its creators by blending various performing arts such as fashion, music, dance, and video. It explores and shares the dressing aesthetics and lifestyle of the dancers. The TAO Dance Studio, with its focus on "more people's bodies", launched a Circular Movement System course, allowing more people to discover that their bodies can move in an unforeseen way. This course invites participants to feel, experience, and explore the infinite possibilities of the body, much like a kaleidoscope.
In 2024, with the mission of "Dancing for Yourself", TAO Dance Theater established TAO Dance Theater 2, aiming to gather dancers from different age, occupation, and nationality, to embody a philosophy where dance creation and expression of Theater 2 are closer to daily life, connected to this era, and relevant to everyone. Through Theater 2, the concept of the body is a theater is integrated into a broader spectrum of people. The fields explored by this group are more diverse, including theaters, art galleries, outdoor spaces, communities, and other undefinite spaces, which present the chance to reconstruct the boundaries between the audience and performer,and offer the possibility for everyone to be an artist.
Timeline
2025
Jiangsu Nanjing | Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts
Guangdong Shenzhen | Pingshan Grand Theatre
Shanghai | Shanghai West Bund Grand Theatre
Italy Venice | Venice Biennale International Dance Festival Malibran Theatre
Italy | Civitanova Danza Festival Rossini Theatre
Spain Sagunto | Sagunto Dance Festival Sagunto Roman Theatre
Austria Vienna | 42nd ImPulsTanz-Vienna International Dance Festival Volksbühne
Poland Wroclaw | 11th Wroclaw "Dialogue" International Theatre Festival Wroclaw Opera House
South Korea Seoul | Seoul Performing Arts Festival DAEHAKRO Art Theatre
Guangdong Shenzhen | Shenzhenbay Culture Square
Sichuan Chengdu | Tianfu Art Park
Beijing｜Central Square in 798 Art District
2024
Haikou Hainan | Haikou Bay Performing Arts Center
Xiamen Fujian | Minnan Grand Theatre
Shenzhen Guangdong | Guangming Culture and Art Centre
Shanghai | Shanghai Opera House
Beijing | National Centre for the Performing Arts
Sharjah UAE | Sharjah Art Foundation & Sharjah Performing Arts Academy
Bonn Germany | Theater Bonn
Paris France | Théâtre de la Ville
Seville Spain | Teatro Central
Italy | Apolló International Arts Festival
Amsterdam Netherlands | Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
Madrid Spain | Madrid Autumn Festival
Saint-Nazaire France | Le Théâtre de Saint-Nazaire
Quimper France | Le Quartz -
Brest France | Scène Nationale de Brest
2023
Beijing | National Centre for the Performing Arts
Macao | MGM Theatre |
Xi' an Shaanxi | Shanxi Opera House
Nanjing Jiangsu | Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts
Foshan Guangdong | Foshan Performing Arts Center
Shenzhen Guangdong | Pingshan Theatre
Shanghai | Shanghai Culture Square
Kalamata Greece | Kalamata Dance Festival
Genoa Italy | Image China - Nervi Music Ballet Festival
Venice Italy | International Festival of Contemporary Dance of La Biennale di Venezia
Brugge Belgium | Concertgebouw Brugge
Singapore | Singtel Waterfront Theatre, Esplanade
Wuzhen Zhejiang | Wuzhen Theatre Festival
Shenzhen Guangdong | The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Beijing | National Centre for the Performing Arts
Haikou, Hainan | Haikou Bay Performance Center
2022
Beijing | Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center
2021
Shenzhen Guangdong | Pingshan Theatre
Beijing | Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center
Qingdao Shandong | Qingdao Grand Theatre
Qinhuangdao Hebei | Aranya Theatre
Shanghai | Shanghai Symphony Hall
Beijing | National Centre for the Performing Arts
Beijing | Beijing Design Week - 751 INT'L DESIGN FESTIVAL
Beijing | NCPA Taihu Stage Art Centre
Shanghai | West Bund Museum
Guangzhou Guangdong | Guangzhou Opera House
Shanghai | Shanghai Culture Square
Shenzhen Guangdong | Pingshan Theatre
Shenzhen Guangdong | Shenzhen Design Week
2020
Guangzhou Guangdong | Guangzhou Opera House
Shenzhen Guangdong | Pingshan Theatre
Zhuhai Guangdong | Zhuhai Huafa&cpaa Grand Theatre
Nanjing Jiangsu | Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts
Qinhuangdao Hebei | Aranya
Xiamen Fujian | Banlam Grand Theater
Chengdu Sichuan | “Autumn in Chengdu” International Music Season /Chengdu City Concert Hall
Shanghai | Shanghai Culture Square
Langfang Hebei | The International Cultural Exchange Center of The Silk Road
Dalian Liaoning | Dalian People Cultural Hall
Beijing | Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center
2019
Budapest Hungary | National Dance Theatre
Porto Portugal | Festival Dias Da Danca
Calais France | Le Channel Scene Nationale Calais
London UK | Sadler’s Wells Theatre
Sete France | Theatre Moliere Sete
Sete France | Theatre La Villette
Naples Italy| Napoli Teatro Festival
Joué Les Tours France| Espace Malraux
Moscow Russia | Chekhov International Theatre Festival
Qinhuangdao Hebei | Aranya Arts Center
Kaohsiung Taiwan | National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)
Taipei Taiwan | National Theater & Concert Hall
Taichung Taiwan |National Taichung Theater
Shanghai | Shanghai Oriental Art Center
Beijing | National Centre for the Performing Arts
Jinan Shandong | Shandong Grand Theatre
Hangzhou Zhejiang | Hangzhou Grand Theatre
Chengdu Sichuan | Sichuan Grand Theatre
Xiamen Fujian | Banlam Grand Theater
Nanjing Jiangsu | Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts
2018
Adelaide Australia | WOMADelaide
Shanghai China | Shanghai International Dance Center
Montreal Canada | FTA
Dusseldorf Germany | Tanzmesse
Oslo Norway | Dansens Hus
Stockholm Sweden | Dansens Hus
Shanghai China | Great Theatre Of China
Taichung China | National Taichung Theater
Singapore | ArtScience Museum Singapore
Beijing China | Tianqiao Performing Arts Center
Xi’An Shanxi | Shaanxi Performing Arts Center
Shenzhen Guangdong | OCT Contemporary Art Terminal
2017
Nanjing Jiangsu | Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts
Melbourne Australia | Arts Centre Melbourne
La Rochelle France | La Coursive Theatre
Annecy France | Bonlieu Scène Nationale
Lyon France | Maison de la Danse
Brest France | Le Quartz
Shanghai China | Shanghai Culture Square
Taipei China | Cloud Gate Theater
Spain | estival de Teatro Musica y Danza de San Javier
Spain | Festival d’Estiu Sagunt
Penang Malaysia | George Town Festival
Beirut Lebanon | Sharjah Biennial 13 ACT II
Beijing China | National Centre for the Performing Arts International Dance Festival
2016
Athens Greece｜Onassis Cultural Centre
Luxembourg｜Théatres de la Ville de Luxembourg
Stockholm Swenden｜Dansens Hus
Portugal｜St. Francisco Convention Centre Coimbra
Portugal | Theatro Circo Braga
Macao China｜Macao Arts Festival
Shanghai China｜Shanghai Culture Square
Beijing China｜Great Wall Forest Festival
Beijing China｜Beijing Dance Academy
Serbia｜Belgrade International Theater Festival Belgrade
Germany｜Staatenhaus Cologne
London UK｜Sadler's Wells
Barcelona Spain｜Mercat de les Flors
Budapest Hungary｜Trafó House of Contemporary Arts
Taichung Taiwan｜National Taichung Theater
Abu Dhabi The United Arab Emirates ｜Manarat Al Saadiyat Auditorium Theater
Gwangju Korea｜Korea Asian Culture Center Theatre
2015
Bangalore India｜Attakkalari Chowdiah Memorial Hall
The Republic of Lithuania Vilnius | Lithuania National Drama Theater
Paris France｜2016 Yohji Yamamoto Press Conference
Amsterdam Netherlands｜JULIDANS Stadsschouwburg
Beijing China｜Opening Ceremony of the Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition, National Center for the Performing Arts
Melbourne Australia｜Supersense Festival, Arts Centre
Edinburgh UK｜Edinburg International Festival, Royal Lyceum Theatre
Helsinki Finland｜Helsinki Festival, Finish National Opera and Ballet
Berlin Germany｜Tanz im August, Berliner Festspiele
Tallinn Estonia｜Tallinn Saal Biennaal, Telliskivi Theatre
Geneva Switzerlan｜ La Batie Festival de Geneva L’Esplanade du Lac
Beijing China | Today Art Museum
Bratislava Slovakia | Bratislava In Movement Festival, Slovak National Theatre
Sarasota USA | 2015 Ringling International Art Festival, Asolo Repertory Theatre
Shanghai China | Shanghai International Arts Festival
Beijing China | National Centre for the Performing Arts International Dance Festival
Paris France | Théâtre de la Ville
Switzerland Vernier | Vernier
France Champagne｜La Comète - Scène Nationale de Châlons-en-Champagne
2014
Umea Sweden｜M.A.D.E Festival “The Sami Chinese Project” as the Opening Performance of 2014 “European Cultural Capital”
Umea Sweden｜NorrlandsOperan
Lulea Sweden｜Kulturens Hus
Pitea Sweden｜Studio Acusticum
Malmo Sweden｜Dansstationen
Vara Sweden｜Vara Konserthus
Stockholm Sweden｜Dansens Hus
New York USA｜New York University Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
Boston USA｜Shubert Citi Theater
Taipei Taiwan｜Novel Hall for Performing Arts, Novel Hall Festival
Sao Paulo Brazil｜O BOTICÁRIO NA DANÇA FESTIVAL, Ibirapuera Auditorium
Rio de Janeiro Brazil｜Theatro Municipal
Recife Brazil｜Theatro Santa Isabel
Austria Vienna｜Wiener Festwochen Odeon
London UK｜Sadler's Wells Theatre
Beijing China｜China Dance 12 Days, “10 Years” Special, National Centre for the Performing
Australia Adelaide｜OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Festival Center Dunstan Playhouse
Paris France | Théâtre de la Ville
Singapore｜Singapore Esplanade dans Festival Esplanade Theater
Hong Kong｜ChinaNew Vision Festival, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Jakarta Indonesia｜Indonesian Dance Festival Gedung Kesenian
2013
Toronto Canada｜Harbourfront Centre Worldstage Festival
Tel Aviv Israel｜Tel Aviv Dance Festival, Suzanne Dellal Centre for Dance and Theater
Amsterdam Netherlands｜JULIDANS FESTIVAL Stadsschouwburg
Beijing China｜Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition, National Centre for the Performing Arts
Beijing China｜China Dance 12 Days, National Centre for the Performing Arts
Umea Sweden｜Norrlands Operan and Saxnas Residency Culture Visit
Shanghai China｜Shanghai Power Station of Art
Guanajuato Mexico｜41 st Cervantes International Arts Festival
Mexico | Mazatlan
Queretaro Mexico｜Auditorio Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez
Mexico City Mexico｜La Ciudad de Mexico
Cali Colombia | 1 BIENAL INTERNACIONAL DE DANZA DE CALI Dance Biennial of Cali Thetro Jorge lsaace
Madrid Spain | MADRID EN DANZA Teatros Del Canal-Sala Verde
2012
Bushan Korea | 8th Busan International Dance Festival
Gdańsk Poland｜GDANSK Festival, Suwnicowa Hall
New York USA｜Lincoln Center Festival
Sydney Australia｜Spring Dance Festival, Sydney Opera House
Vienna Austria｜Vienna Festival,
Sankt Polten Austria｜FEST/SPIEL/HAUS Festspielhaus
Ottawa Canada｜National Arts Centre
Montreal Canada｜Place des Arts
Dresden Germany | Hellerau-European Center for the Arts
2011
Marseille France | Festival Croisements 2011
Umea Sweden | M.A.D.E Festival Norrlands Operan
Singapore | Singapore Arts Festival
North Carolina USA | American Dance Festival, Reynolds Industries Theater
NYC USA | Fall For Dance, City Center Theater
Amsterdam Netherlands | DANS MAKERS Theatre Bellevue|
Birmingham UK | DanceXchange
London UK | Sadler's Wells Theatre
2010
Antwerp Belgium｜Monty Theater
Beijing China｜Beijing Yihaodi International Artbase
Beijing China｜Beijing Penghao Theatre
Bern Switzerland | Festival Tanz International Dampfzentrale Bern Theater
Shanghai China ｜Shanghai “La Plantation” Modern Arts Festival
2009
Beijing China | Beijing Pioneer Theatre of NTC
Brussels Belgium | Europa Festival
2008
Beijing China | Caochangdi Studio
Guangzhou Guangdong | Guangdong Dance Festival
Beijing China | 9 Theater
Shanghai China | Shanghai Theatre Academy New Space
Beijing China | Tianqiao Theatre
Beijing China | Fengchao Theatre
Beijing China | Beijing Penghao Theatre