Dance: 25㎡
Words from the Director
In recent years, I’ve been constantly on the move, traveling from city to city. There are mornings when I wake up in a hotel room and can’t quite remember where I am. In moments of physical and emotional exhaustion, I find myself longing for a sense of “home.” Not necessarily a physical space, but a place where the heart can settle—where one feels calm, grounded, safe, and loved.
While my body remains rooted on the ground, my mind drifts elsewhere. These daydreams feel like hot air balloons, lifting me gently into the sky. Perhaps fantasy is one of the most honest ways to escape the weight of everyday reality. Rhapsody emerged from this very impulse.
Introduction to the work
A nomad in the city.
With a 20-inch suitcase,
moving endlessly from one place to another.
There are no grasslands, no horses—
only airplanes, high-speed trains,
and the relentless rhythm of steel and motion.
Every city begins to look the same.
Every hotel room feels identical.
Within a space of 25 square meters,
nothing truly belongs to you—
except that worn-out suitcase.
Inside it: memories, stories, secrets.
Sleepless nights.
And somewhere in the mind,
Rhapsody begins to dance.
Background and Motivation
Rhapsody is, at its core, a daydream shaped by years of living as a nomad in the city. Before the pandemic, constant touring reduced the vastness of the world into a series of temporary stays—different cities, identical rooms, a shrinking sense of perspective.
In those confined spaces, a deep loneliness took hold. Stepping outside, I began to notice that I was not alone—many others were living the same way. “Urban nomads” are not a niche group; they are everywhere. Anyone who has left home, who struggles to belong, who lives in between places—can recognize themselves in this state.
In 2020, the pandemic interrupted this rhythm. For a brief moment, many of us returned home, or were confined to stillness. That pause reshaped us. And yet, most eventually returned to motion—to drifting.
Some continue to wander through cities.
Some seem to have found a place, yet their hearts remain unsettled.
Different places, same people—
at certain stages of life, perhaps we are all destined to experience this rootless wandering.
Artistic Approach
25m² Rhapsody continues my ongoing exploration of the relationship between individuals and contemporary life. Created two years after my previous work, this piece expands into a multidisciplinary form, integrating theatre and dance in collaboration with director and choreographer Zhou Ke.
Rather than presenting drama and dance as separate elements, the work weaves them into a unified language. The first half unfolds within a confined 25-square-meter room—an intimate space shaped by isolation, distance, and fragile tenderness. Narrative, movement, fragmented scenes, and contemporary music intersect to create a layered emotional landscape.
In the second half, the space opens into an imagined, boundless meadow. Here, contrasts intensify—fear and stillness, sorrow and joy, noise and silence. Solo and ensemble movement emerge with raw, unfiltered vitality.
Across these shifting dimensions, Rhapsody becomes a living composition—one that unfolds in time, in space, and in direct dialogue with the audience.
