"Prelude To Mountain Ghost" is a solo dance work created by Po-Nien Wang (he/him). The piece is rooted in his personal exploration of belonging, queerness, fluidity, and identity. Drawing inspiration from an ancient Chinese poem called The Mountain Spirit, part of Nine Songs by Qu Yuan (343–278 B.C.). The ethereal confluence of longing and mysticism of that poem has long mesmerised him. It speaks to the liminal spaces where we dwell—those we are bound by, and those we yearn to transcend. Po-Nien would like to further explore these questions:

How long is ‘now’?

How did we come to be?

The only place I can never lose myself, is in myself.

Alone yet moving,

In the rhythm of beginning, middle, and end.

Are we simply the stories we tell?

"Prelude To Mountain Ghost" is Po-Nien’s first ever self-founded project. Its development has included a 3-months residency at Trauma Bar und Kino in Berlin, a work-in-progress presentation at WANT TO DANCE FESTIVAL in Spring 2024, a live performance for Gegen Berlin in the KitKat Club, and culminated in its premiere at The Feuerle Collection in October, followed by five additional performances through December. We had over 600 audiences for the six open performances.