© Natascha Roy

Yin Cheng-Kokott

Who am I? A powerful mantra to inquiry oneself anytime. I would simply share a short story of myself growing up in my hometown with you…

I came from a small city named ‘Tainan’, located in south of Taiwan. She carries a thick atmosphere of history and culture surrounding by local food. The heart of it is in those local markets gathering householders and vendors who know what they offer. This city was once a capital under Koxinga and later Qing dynasty rule.

If I ride a motorcycle for an hour, I would reach to a place named Golden Coast. An illuminating golden pink light cover the coast line, and it feels like you are walking on an unconscious territory – an imaginative coast. There is no end you can perceive. On the way there, you can smell the salt mountain, artificial fishponds, and hear the woman talking who are working on opening the shells. The smell invades itself into your lung.

I used to escape into the land of books and classical. It was a sacred, safe and stimulating portal for the little Yin. I would hide under my cover, sinking into the character’s life. I met dance at age of 8. I was sent to a ballet class nearby as most Asian parents wish their child to have some talents. I love feeling the muscle aches, scratching the floor with toes and bottom of my feet, bursting myself in sweat and satisfaction. For the first time, I can feel the total surrender to my body, liberated to express the energy freely. The body has to go where it wants to be. It carried me from east to west.

Now, I have a dream. I wish to open my armpits, shoulder blades, and ribs to the back like wind. My pelvis is pushing to the front like a wave of mother ocean. I wish I would shift shapes, work with spirits like they are my dear friends. I wish I would let the pure pleasure drift down my chest like honey, twisting my spine like I am swimming in it. I wish I would let every part of this body caress each other, caress the space and floor. I wish I would stretch my skin, let it breathe and float above. I wish we would die and rebirth whenever we gather to celebrate the creative life force. I wish we would open our hearts, make sounds, hit the notes, and the spirit is moving now.  

Yin Cheng‐Kokott (b. 1989) is a Taiwanese dancer, performer, writer and tarot practitioner who reborn in Berlin. Her work explores the somatic source of movement, bringing pleasure, risk-taking and authenticity to the dancing body. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theater from National Taiwan University of arts. She has been working with Tanja Råman, Vishnu Vardhani Rajan, Ashley Fure, Lilleth Glimcher, Okwui Okpokwasili, Peter Born, Nora Hänska, Doro Saykaly and Mia Lawrence. Yin is currently researching the art of tarot, gaga, butoh, contemporary dance, yoga and conscious rejuvenation.