Moon Water is a work by choreographer Lin Hwai-min, first performed by the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan on 18 November 1998 at the National Theatre of Taipei.
To the Chinese, Moon Water, or Suei Yuei, is reminiscent of two things. One is a Buddhist proverb: “Flowers in a mirror and moon on the water are both illusory.” The other describes the ideal state of Tai Chi practitioners: “Energy flows like water, while the spirit shines like the moon.”

The choreographer departs from these two famous quotes in a poetic rendering of the Taoist philosophy. Moon Water is a study of real versus unreal, effort versus effortlessness, yin and yang, and, in the end, a study of time.

Lin Hwai-min has explored the possibilities of developing a language inspired by the Tai Chi Tao Yin techniques, and he has chosen for the music of nine movements from J.S. Bach’s Suites for solo Violoncello. The result is a fascinating encounter between East and West. A show of extraordinary and surprising beauty, which has received high praise from critics around the world.