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The Art of Dance in Taiwan |
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Strong Local Traditions
Taiwan is home to 14 indigenous groups, including the Amis of graceful music and dance traditions, and the dignified and ceremonious Tsou, all of whom have injected vivid indigenous colors into Taiwan’s dance culture. Their talent can often be seen at large events and ceremonies as well as at international performances around the world. One active indigenous group is the Formosa Aboriginal Song and Dance Troupe established in 1991 by a team of young aboriginals. The group in its early days enlisted the aid of anthropologists to study actual rituals as performed by village elders, and later staged adaptations of the rites from various tribes, such as the Pasta’ai (ceremony of the dwarves) of the Saisiyat tribe, and the annual ritual dances of the Puyuma. In recent years, the group has been drawing inspiration from indigenous life experiences as materials for their creative works, as seen in the 2009 piece “Langod—The Tsunami.”
Around 400 years ago, large numbers of Han people from the Chinese mainland began immigrating to Taiwan and brought with them the music and dance of temple festivals and other influences of an agrarian society. Many of these dances, such as the Dance of the Eight Generals, the Che Gu Zhen (literally, cart drum parade) and the Twelve Grannies Parade were performed as folk religion rituals. The immigrants also brought various forms of opera, including Pear Orchard Opera, as well as operas accompanied by nanguan (southern wind) and beiguan (northern wind) music. Along with the Taiwanese Opera that later originated within the island, all of these forms have similar body training and basic movements as those found in Peking Opera and the other regional styles of mainland China.
Today, these folk religion-based dance styles are being actively studied and recreated on stage by choreographers like Tsai Li-hua, founder of the Taipei Folk Dance Theater established in 1988. These old dance forms are even inspiring new and innovative performance styles that add fresh interpretation to Taiwan’s dance traditions. In recent years, Pear Orchard Opera has seen renewed interest in Taiwan thanks to performances of the “Sumptuous Feasting Song” (1996), a collaboration by Wu Su-chun and the Han Tang Yuefu Music Ensemble. This work and “Whispers from the Rear Garden” (2002)—performed by the Gang-a-tsui Theater at the Lin Family Garden in Banqiao—have also created new opportunities for the revival of nanguan music and dance, which is often associated with Pear Orchard Opera. Japanese, American and Eurasian Influences
During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, dance trends from the West were indirectly introduced through Japan. These trends brought new artistic stimulation to the local dance culture, especially with regard to the liberation of the female body. Such influence can be seen in the Western-style morning exercises that became mandatory in primary and secondary school curriculums. In addition, a local dance tour by Ishii Baku, the father of Japanese modern dance, left a profound impact on young Taiwanese dancers such as Lee Tseg-o and Tsai Jui-yueh, both of whom followed Ishii to his dance company in Tokyo for training. In 1953, Tsai set up Tsai Jui-yueh’s Dance Studio in Taipei. She not only inherited Ishii’s style of modern dance, but also choreographed many classic works (such as “A Miao Girl Taps Cups”) during the 1950s when folk dance competitions were highly popular. Tsai Jui-yueh’s Dance Studio later became an important cultural base in post-war Taiwan and nurtured many outstanding dancers such as Henry Yu. With its building designated a historic site in 1999, this studio continues to contribute to the art of dance as a venue for dance festivals and seminars.
Despite these important developments, modern dance in Taiwan did not begin to flourish until after 1960. As Taiwan maintained friendly relations with the United States during the Cold War, many famous American dancers such as Alvin Ailey, José Limón and Paul Taylor visited Taiwan under the auspices of the U.S. State Department and its policy of cultural diplomacy. These dance troupes introduced American-style democracy through a form of modern dance that is richly expressive of individual freedom. Hence, after World War II, the United States became the top training destination for young Taiwanese dancers like Lin Hwai-min, who later returned to Taiwan and in 1973 founded what would become the world-acclaimed Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. Around that same time, another dancer with overseas influences established the Neo-Classic Dance Company in 1976. Liu Feng-shueh, who had spent her childhood in northeastern China, relocated to Taiwan with the Kuomintang government after World War II and later studied dance in Germany. To this day, she continues to produce a rich repertoire of creative work.
After martial law was lifted in Taiwan in 1987, a new wave of dancers began setting up their own troupes. For instance, in 1989, Ping Heng founded the mid-sized professional dance company Dance Forum Taipei and established the Crown Theatre as a creative space for choreographers such as Lo Man-fei and Ku Ming-shen. When Cloud Gate went on hiatus from 1988 to 1991, many new talents rose to the fore of Taiwan’s dance scene, including former Cloud Gate members Liou Shaw-lu and Lin Hsiu-wei (who respectively founded the Taipei Dance Circle and the Tai Gu Tales Dance Theatre), as well as the non-professionally trained choreographer Tao Fu-lann. These artists drew inspiration from the body gesture exercises found in Eastern meditation, tai chi and the martial arts to create dance productions with distinctive Asian aesthetics.
In the global dance market of the 21st century, only the dancers with a unique cultural niche can secure a place on the international stage. After Cloud Gate resumed its operations in the 1990s, it began focusing on Eastern body training by adopting the Tai Chi Dao Yin movements, a discipline developed by Master Hsiung Wei that emphasizes relaxation of the joints and a smooth circulation of the body’s internal energy. With the modern choreographic concepts of Lin Hwai-min, these powerful movements have been presented in several of Cloud Gate’s signature repertoires such as “Moon Water” (1998) and “Cursive: A Trilogy” (2001, 2003, 2005). These works thrilled local and international audiences and garnered wide recognition for the maturity and innovation of Taiwan’s dance community. Lin Lee-chen, another acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer, also rose to international fame through the refined, measured style of her Legend Lin Dance Theatre.
As for ballet in Taiwan, its room for development is more limited as compared with other forms of dance. Aside from Chamber Ballet Taipei and Capital Ballet, Taipei, which are actively producing new repertoires, Taipei Royal Ballet also presents classical performances and continues to nurture ballet dancers and lovers in Taiwan. Many of the island’s younger dance troupes use alternative creative dance styles to express their viewpoints on life in Taiwan. For instance, in the works of the Century Contemporary Dance Company, middle-generation choreographer Yao Shu-fen often propounds a woman’s point of view on elements of everyday life. Another group with an original approach to contemporary dance is LAFA & Artists Dance Company, founded by Sheu Fang-yi, a former principal dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company, and Bulareyaung Pagarlava, first resident choreographer of Cloud Gate 2. Apart from performing and lecturing around Taiwan, LAFA frequently tours abroad and has been invited to such prestigious events as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the United States.
Several outstanding male dancers have quickly gained popularity in recent years: the Horse Dance Theatre is an all-male dance company established in 2005 by Chen Wu-kang, Yang Yu-min and Su Wei-chia. Beloved by audiences, this company introduces an exciting group performance piece every year and has come to represent the new generation of dance companies in Taiwan. Other promising male dancers who formally trained under Taiwan’s dance education system include Cheng Tsung-lung, Huang Yi and Chou Shu-yi. Excelling in both dance and choreography, they have often been commissioned to produce new works by Cloud Gate 2 and other professional dance companies. These men employ innovative approaches that break away from the confines of traditional dance styles and vocabulary, even incorporating multimedia images and digital technology that are reflective of the new generation’s way of thinking. In addition to watching theatrical performances of dance, the people in Taiwan are very keen on dancing themselves. This enthusiasm can be gleaned from the numerous folks who gather daily to practice dance or martial arts—under the eaves of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, on the open plazas of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, in city parks large and small, even below street level at Taipei Metro’s underground shopping malls. They also practice a wide range of dance styles, as demonstrated by the many private dance studios that provide lessons on martial arts, children’s music and rhythm, and such popular dances as ballroom dance, street dance, jazz dance, yoga, belly dance, flamenco and even Bollywood dance. Original Chinese article by Lin Ya-tin
CULTURAL TAIWAN |
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Taiwan’s myriad dance forms are intricately linked with the country’s ethnic composition and historical background, and each of the local dances draws their unique colors from the island’s rich cultural heritage. The following is an introduction to the various dance genres found in Taiwan: ritual music and dance of the indigenous peoples; folk belief dances and martial arts forms from mainland China;
ballet, modern and post modern dance from the West, with new fusions of form and media; as well as popular dances such as ballroom dance, street dance and aerobic dance.
