What comes to mind when you think of your homeland? If you were to create a dance that was a love letter to your homeland, what would it look like?

Artistic Director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Lin Hwai-Min has created an evening-length work dedicated to the island of Taiwan, Formosa. The new work, which will be performed at the Harris Theater on March 2 and 3, celebrates the multicultural history of the island nation.

Mr. Lin Hwai-min uses typefaces of Chinese characters as material for the projection design and poetry as part of the soundscape. Three years in the making, Formosa blends music by contemporary composer Kaija Saariaho, musician Liang Chun-mei and singer Sangpuy Katatepan Mavaliyw.

When Cloud Gate last performed in Chicago, the Reader raved: “…the dancers’ movement might be grounded and glacial, almost imperceptible, or it might be quick and airborne, but it’s always breathtaking.”

Mr. Lin has announced that he will retire from his company by the end of 2019, leaving behind a remarkable legacy. His many awards include Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Ministry of Culture and a lifetime achievement award from the American Dance Festival.

Catch the Chicago premiere of Formosa at the Harris Theater on March 2 and 3.

photo: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan at artist Sir Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Photo: Lindsay Schlesser