It is said that Tai Chi was invented and founded by Zhang San-feng. Today, well-known Tai Chi forms are called "Chen-Style Tai Chi" which is invented by Chen Wang-ting. Yang Lu-chan learned Tai Chi from Chen Chang-xing (disciple of Chen Wang-ting) and from the Yang-Style Tai Chi further developed different schools of Tai Chi. It is said that some popular Tai Chi schools, such as the Yang school, the Wu school and the Lee school, were originated from Zhang San-feng of Wudang.

The most popular is the Chen-Style Tai Chi which is divided into old and new forms. Old Tai Chi was designed by Chen Wang-ting in the early Qing Dynasty. There are five sequences of movement and they are also called the thirteen movements. In addition, there is the long form and one sequence includes 108 movements. The two most popular sequences now, are results refined from Chen Wang-ting's original sequences of Tai Chi after 300 years of practice and further development. The sequences are well-design and the physical strength and challenge demand are not the same, so the speed and intensity are also different.

Since 1987, Tai Chi groups have been established consecutively. So far, there are 32 Tai Chi related groups in the sports category, which is quite prosperous. Tai Chi is not only an event sport nowadays. Recently it has become one of the alternative therapies for rehabilitation. Many doctors recommend this versatile exercise. It combines muscle training workouts, activates muscles, strengthen bones, promotes blood circulation and enhances cardiopulmonary endurance. The soft movements of Tai Chi help elder people balance the control and flexibility of their body. It also shows significant improvements in preventing stroke and Parkinson's disease.

Image Source: https://reurl.cc/K640D9

Image Source: https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/ 20170829002146-260403?chdtv

A well-known Tai Chi dance in Cloud Gate is Water Moon. The poetic dance is based on the principle of "Tai Chi Tao Yin" to transform healthy induction into abundant movements. It develops a brand-new kind of dance aesthetics from spinning the center of gravity downwards. The Qi of the dancers is induced from dantian, an acupunctural position below the belly bottom, and it is sometimes powerful and sometimes tender. It demonstrates "the vitality of force" in Chinese calligraphy. In addition, the audience perceives the energy and sophisticated techniques of the dancers.

Cloud Gate was invited by the director of the Miro Museum of Art, Marko Daniel, to give lectures in the museum once. Mr. Daniel believes Cloud Gate is one of the best dance troupes in merging western aesthetic with eastern philosophy harmoniously. Mr. Lin hopes that the curiosity of the audiences are solved if they get to know Cloud Gate in-depth. After each overseas tour, if money is not a problem and the organizer is willing, Cloud Gate will hold an experienced course for the participants outside of the performance.

Well-known dance critic Anna Kisselgoff selected Water Moon of Cloud Gate as the best piece of 2014. In addition, Cursive II, as Tai Chi dance, was the opening dance in Melbourne Festival and it obtained Time Evaluation Award and The Best of Audience Choice; in 2004 and 2005, Cursive II and Wild Cursive obtained Annual Taishin Award for Performance Art ; in 2006, German International Dance and Contemporary Theater invited important dance critics in Europe to evaluate the performances in the world and they selected Cursive: A Trilogy as "the best dance performance of the year."