Dodging Like Tai Chi《耍太極》| Hippocrates Cheng 鄭靖楠

Dodging Like Tai Chi《耍太極》 Composer 作曲: Hippocrates Cheng 鄭靖楠 Performed by: Hong-Da Chin ----- The title "Dodging Like Tai Chi"《耍太極》draws on a Cantonese-speaking idiom often used to describe someone who tactfully avoids responsibility or direct confrontation, much like an employee gracefully evading an employer’s demands. The phrase carries a humorous yet insightful tone. Instead of resisting with force, one slips away using softness, flexibility, and strategic timing, similar to the movements in Tai Chi. The piece begins with a slow, lyrical section representing the employee. The lines are fluid and expressive, shaped by gentle pushes and pulls, as if the performer were moving like soft jelly that is never rigid and always able to bend away from pressure. When the fast runs appear, they symbolize the employer in pursuit, intensifying the tension and attempting to corner the employee. Yet each time, the music slips away into new directions through sudden changes of contour and mood that dodge the musical "attack." This back-and-forth creates a playful narrative of chase and escape. The dizi becomes a storyteller capable of both light-footed wit and vivid dramatic contrast. Through various musical gestures, the "employee" always finds a way out, not by overpowering, but by redirecting energy with grace and timing, just like Tai Chi itself. Event: Chinese Instrumental Music Symposium 2026 (CIM-S 2026) Date: August 1, 2026 Recorded by: James Wu Studio