Lin Hwai-min Recalls "Legacy" Craze, Thanks US President Carter
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre founder Lin Hwai-min attended a lecture at the Asia Society in New York, recalling the historical context of his dance drama "Legacy" and its premiere in 1978 when the US severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan. He expressed gratitude to then-US President Carter and shared an anecdote about a taxi driver's encouragement that prompted his return to activity.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 11:22
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Liao Han-yuan, New York, 1st) Lin Hwai-min, founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, attended a lecture at the New York think tank "Asia Society" today. Meeting old friends on stage, he was full of witty remarks. Speaking of the historical coincidence of "Legacy," he sighed, "Thank you, President Carter." A Taiwanese taxi driver encouraged and admonished him, saying, "Taiwan still needs Cloud Gate." The host joked, "New York drivers probably wouldn't say that."
Lin Hwai-min conversed with Jodee Nimerichter, director of the American Dance Festival, at the "Encounter and Exchange of Taiwanese and American Dance" forum held at the Asia Society. The event was moderated by Rachel Cooper, the society's director of culture and diplomacy.
Lin Hwai-min obtained his master's degree in the United States in the early 1970s, then studied dance at the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York on a scholarship. After returning to Taiwan, he founded Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in 1973. Lin Hwai-min, Nimerichter, and Cooper have known each other for a long time, and the reunion of old friends was particularly warm.
Lin Hwai-min shared with the audience the trajectory of Cloud Gate in Taiwan in the last century. In the early days of the company, he taught Graham technique in front of Martha Graham, who was visiting Taiwan, because he "only knew Graham's technique." When Graham left, she gave him a large sum of New Taiwan Dollars, "just in case."
On December 1978, the day the United States announced the severance of diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Cloud Gate premiered "Legacy," a historical dance drama about the early settlers crossing the sea to Taiwan, in Chiayi. This dance work, embodying the independent consciousness of Taiwanese people, was rehearsed in the south at the time, with urgent timing, attracting a packed audience of 6,000 people. "Legacy" was performed in Taiwan and around the world, becoming a work that comforted the hearts of Taiwanese people during a difficult diplomatic era.
Recalling this historical coincidence, Lin Hwai-min sighed on stage: "Thank you, President Carter (Jimmy Carter)."
Cloud Gate, with a history of over half a century, has many stories to reminisce about, many of which are related to ordinary people on the streets.
Lin Hwai-min recalled that when the company was on hiatus due to financial pressure and creative bottlenecks, one day he took a taxi, and the taxi driver chatted with him and encouraged him all the way. The driver said that Taiwan still needed Cloud Gate, and even "admonished him" when he got off the car, which became the motivation for his comeback. Cooper joked, "New York taxi drivers probably wouldn't say that."
Lin Hwai-min received the "American Dance Festival Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2013 at Duke University in North Carolina, and sharing the stage again with Dance Festival Director Nimerichter was particularly meaningful. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150502
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(Central News Agency reporter Liao Han-yuan, New York, 1st) Lin Hwai-min, founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, attended a lecture at the New York think tank "Asia Society" today. Meeting old friends on stage, he was full of witty remarks. Speaking of the historical coincidence of "Legacy," he sighed, "Thank you, President Carter." A Taiwanese taxi driver encouraged and admonished him, saying, "Taiwan still needs Cloud Gate." The host joked, "New York drivers probably wouldn't say that."
Lin Hwai-min conversed with Jodee Nimerichter, director of the American Dance Festival, at the "Encounter and Exchange of Taiwanese and American Dance" forum held at the Asia Society. The event was moderated by Rachel Cooper, the society's director of culture and diplomacy.
Lin Hwai-min obtained his master's degree in the United States in the early 1970s, then studied dance at the Martha Graham Dance Company in New York on a scholarship. After returning to Taiwan, he founded Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in 1973. Lin Hwai-min, Nimerichter, and Cooper have known each other for a long time, and the reunion of old friends was particularly warm.
Lin Hwai-min shared with the audience the trajectory of Cloud Gate in Taiwan in the last century. In the early days of the company, he taught Graham technique in front of Martha Graham, who was visiting Taiwan, because he "only knew Graham's technique." When Graham left, she gave him a large sum of New Taiwan Dollars, "just in case."
On December 1978, the day the United States announced the severance of diplomatic ties with Taiwan, Cloud Gate premiered "Legacy," a historical dance drama about the early settlers crossing the sea to Taiwan, in Chiayi. This dance work, embodying the independent consciousness of Taiwanese people, was rehearsed in the south at the time, with urgent timing, attracting a packed audience of 6,000 people. "Legacy" was performed in Taiwan and around the world, becoming a work that comforted the hearts of Taiwanese people during a difficult diplomatic era.
Recalling this historical coincidence, Lin Hwai-min sighed on stage: "Thank you, President Carter (Jimmy Carter)."
Cloud Gate, with a history of over half a century, has many stories to reminisce about, many of which are related to ordinary people on the streets.
Lin Hwai-min recalled that when the company was on hiatus due to financial pressure and creative bottlenecks, one day he took a taxi, and the taxi driver chatted with him and encouraged him all the way. The driver said that Taiwan still needed Cloud Gate, and even "admonished him" when he got off the car, which became the motivation for his comeback. Cooper joked, "New York taxi drivers probably wouldn't say that."
Lin Hwai-min received the "American Dance Festival Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2013 at Duke University in North Carolina, and sharing the stage again with Dance Festival Director Nimerichter was particularly meaningful. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150502
Stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.