Percussion Theatre: Jeu Blanc

From a minimal premise, waves of surprise build into a shared pulse.
Between mallet and object, rhythm recalibrates the senses.

Spanning France and Taiwan, percussion and circus, Jeu Blanc operates as a sensory study of minimalism and purity. Within a rigorously pared-down structure, the show generates a rich visual field where rhythm and sound become visual, suggesting an alternative trajectory for contemporary performance, one that gradually shifts into a distinct mode of perception.

Are you ready? With the next strike of the mallet, the world in front of you will never be the same.

A cross-disciplinary sensory encounter
Percussion, circus, and theatrical language intersect, dissolving artistic boundaries and reshaping performance experience.

An enlightenment for all generations
Structured in concise, playful sequences, the work balances humor and precision, offering immediacy for younger audiences and a lingering resonance for adults.

Founded in 1962, Les Percussions de Strasbourg is widely recognized as the world’s first professional percussion ensemble, known for redefining repertoire, performance formats, and cross-cultural collaboration. As a key force within French musical culture, the ensemble has appeared at major international festivals and has shaped the work of generations of composers and artists.

Jeu Blanc extends this legacy of experimentation where music threads into wonders. Human body, object, sound, and form are brought into an epic dialogue. The Taiwan edition, commissioned by Taipei Performing Arts Center, is adapted from the original production by Les Percussions de Strasbourg. Created by percussionist Hsin-Hsuan Wu and circus artist Shih-Ting Yeh, they introduce a grounded, local sensibility into a work rooted in the European avant-garde, assembling a more immediate, tactile experience.

Watch
White spheres are suspended, redirected, and caught mid-air. Mallets cut through space, merging with physical gesture. Gradually, rhythm takes on a visible form.

Listen
Sound moves between instrument and object, or emerges from near-silence—its structure revealing itself over time.

Respond
Repetition accumulates. Like a tide, it presses against perception. You may find your body reacting before you register why.

What unfolds is not a fixed narrative but a shifting simulation between sound and image, action and perception. Simulation here is not imitation, but a continuous negotiation between body, rhythm, and attention. As you enter, the work begins to reorganize itself around you