WeightX3
Created in 2008
Choreography | Tao Ye
Music | Steve Reich
Lightning Design | Tao Ye
Costume Design | Duan Ni，Tao Ye
Duration｜50 min
Premiere | 5 Dec 2009,Oriental Pioneer Theater, Beijing , China
Weight x 3 is the inaugural work of TAO Dance Theater’s "Numerical Series." Choreographer Tao Ye’s first experiment with numerical titling, it remains the only piece in the series combining Chinese characters with digits. This marked the genesis of his artistic exploration: using constraint as a form to distill the essence of bodily motion.
The work comprises three movements—two duets and one solo—each investigating the infinite possibilities of movement through extreme kinetic principles: displacement, push-pull dynamics, and trajectories of release.
The Chinese character "重" (zhòng) holds dual meanings: weight and repetition. Weight refers to the body’s center of gravity, resistance, and control; repetition signifies internal cycles, exertion, and perpetual seeking.
I. Zhong
This section deconstructs walking as movement’s most fundamental thread. From heels to toes, ankles to hips, it traces kinetic chains of force while immobilizing the head, hands, and spine. Focus shifts to the torso and lower body, generating circular weight-shifting choreography. As two dancers advance, their accumulated momentum—repeated, spiraling, gravitational—transfers into the earth beneath them.
II. Origins of Inquiry
Weight x 3 anchors the company’s spiritual exploration. Tao Ye elevates primal motion into profound expression: How to move? Why move? In TAO’s philosophy, motion itself becomes a dialectic of questioning and resolution. Through repetition and accumulation, the work excavates existence—future and primordial, complex yet pure.
III. Evolution of Constraint
Building on prior experimentation, Tao sought more direct kinetic dialogue between bodies. He evolved circular steps into new constraints:
Dancers clasp hands, generating convergence and separation through rotation.
Mutual propulsion and traction allow complete surrender of weight between partners.
Liberating the head and spine enables extreme spatial release during weight transitions.
In ceaseless cycles of union and parting, the dancers enact rituals of conflict and reconciliation. Hand-constrained at every instant, their force-negotiations demand mutual awareness—a mirror-like resonance that forges unity and shared transcendence.
The work comprises three movements—two duets and one solo—each investigating the infinite possibilities of movement through extreme kinetic principles: displacement, push-pull dynamics, and trajectories of release.
The Chinese character "重" (zhòng) holds dual meanings: weight and repetition. Weight refers to the body’s center of gravity, resistance, and control; repetition signifies internal cycles, exertion, and perpetual seeking.
I. Zhong
This section deconstructs walking as movement’s most fundamental thread. From heels to toes, ankles to hips, it traces kinetic chains of force while immobilizing the head, hands, and spine. Focus shifts to the torso and lower body, generating circular weight-shifting choreography. As two dancers advance, their accumulated momentum—repeated, spiraling, gravitational—transfers into the earth beneath them.
II. Origins of Inquiry
Weight x 3 anchors the company’s spiritual exploration. Tao Ye elevates primal motion into profound expression: How to move? Why move? In TAO’s philosophy, motion itself becomes a dialectic of questioning and resolution. Through repetition and accumulation, the work excavates existence—future and primordial, complex yet pure.
III. Evolution of Constraint
Building on prior experimentation, Tao sought more direct kinetic dialogue between bodies. He evolved circular steps into new constraints:
Dancers clasp hands, generating convergence and separation through rotation.
Mutual propulsion and traction allow complete surrender of weight between partners.
Liberating the head and spine enables extreme spatial release during weight transitions.
In ceaseless cycles of union and parting, the dancers enact rituals of conflict and reconciliation. Hand-constrained at every instant, their force-negotiations demand mutual awareness—a mirror-like resonance that forges unity and shared transcendence.
