Lin Hwai-min stepped down as artistic director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in 2019. The great artist may have announced his retirement, but he has remained remarkably active, creating works for sopranos, Nanguan musicians and singers. Now, for his collaboration with FOCASA Circus on One to One Hundred, he directs nearly twenty acrobats in a production whose complex music, lighting and visual design rival those of a full-scale dance work. This year marks FOCASA’s 15th anniversary. Having faced a major turning point himself when Cloud Gate reached its 15th year, Lin knows just how daunting such a moment can be. He sees his role simply as someone who has been there before, sharing what he has learned. A contemporary dance choreographer sharing his experience with acrobats: the 78-year-old Lin asks performers in their thirties to pay attention to their breathing in every gesture and movement. At times, it feels like an old Zen master guiding a group of young monks, with insight hidden in every exchange. Through breath, the acrobats learn to use their bodies with greater simplicity and clarity, while the choreographer learns to loosen up amid the exuberant music of the circus. “I’ve never created anything this joyful. I never imagined one of my works would feature music from Pirates of the Caribbean, Mayday, and even a waltz…”