一嶼｜Island (Work-in-Progress)

Island (originally titled Somnambulist) is an experimental work developed by Chien Lin-Yi in 2023 during his studies at the Taipei National University of the Arts. This piece reflects his insights into life’s journey and serves as a deep exploration of his future creative language. During the process, Chien Lin-Yi attempted to keep one of the dancers’ bodies in an unbalanced state, having them stand on another person’s body, embodying his own background and his curiosity toward contemporary dance practice.

Currently, Island is still in development. The original version was 12 minutes long, with plans to expand into a 20-minute mid-length piece by April this year.

Looking back at the origins of Island, Chien Lin-Yi’s homeland, Taiwan, is an island nation. Due to its small size and high population density, people are expected to maintain close and sticky relationships. However, in today’s fast-paced and indifferent society, people constantly chase fleeting trends, gradually losing sensitivity to life and time. Additionally, the Chinese character for "person" (人) consists of two strokes: one slightly tilted, and the other providing support. Though it appears simple, writing it well is not easy. The character relies on a delicate balance between the two strokes—leaning on and supporting each other—to form a stable structure, allowing it to move toward a farther, better future.

The body, like an island, continuously touches and is touched by others. The drifting somnambulist, through slow and deliberate steps, eventually finds a place of tranquil repose.

The concept of Island seeks to bring both the choreographer and dancers back to an honest physical theater. Another core idea of this work is closely connected to 01 Dance Production’s “Triangle Philosophy.” This philosophy borrows from the thinking model of Mind Mapping, which helps clarify the various elements encountered in the creative process. Through a triangular structure, we can extract three key words from the creative content (e.g., Exploration, Viscosity, New World), extending into multiple layers of inspiration, ultimately converging in Island.