Cloud Gate performances present ideas or concepts rather than stories or pictures, nor is the choreography or music organized to depict harmonious movements. The feeling of disjointure will be very prominent, especially for first-time viewers, because disjointure is indeed at the very heart of Cloud Gate, history, time and space are non-linear and fluid and subject to sudden silences, disruptions or repetitions.

For those who attended with the wish to leave entertained or refreshed, they would most likely have been disappointed, because Cloud Gate does not provide entertainment in the sense we have become accustomed to-that performances are to be understood instanteneously and effortlessly, creating a high level of interaction between what happens on and off-stage. With Cloud Gate, as with many other modern dance companies, the performances rather ask for open-minded perception and a very high level of thought during and after performances, which is asking a lot (sometimes too much) of audiences who are merely taking a moment out of their busy lives to do something different.

I did not witness this particular performance at Power Center, but have been an avid follower of the group since high school, and for those who were not satisfied with this show but are willing to try more, I highly recommend beginning with Lin’s earlier works such as Songs of the Wanderers and Legacy, dances that depict more tangible storylines or tableaus.