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Island connection: Body online
by CHOU Shu-yi Weiwuying Artist-In-Residence
Connection is the beginning of emotion for humans.
Dance is a frequency that human bodies share.
This island is where we live and where we connect with humans from other places in the world.
Taiwan is an island nation in Asia. During this prolonged period in which international exchanges have basically been at a halt, we have thought about how dance can take place in the virtual world, how artists can create and allow the lifeline of art to continue, how the body and dance have changed in the face of Covid, and how the familiar (our bodies) and unfamiliar (use of the camera) have come together to inspire new thoughts for the future. Is your body ready to dance? Let's get together online, for real!
Remember the passion-filled dances we did all over Kaohsiung!
From April to June of 2022, Bolero in Kaohsiung led 35 dancers in performances with the musical accompaniment of the song Boléro at Weiwuying and other public places in Kaohsiung, such as temples, an art museum, parks, and the harbor. For the 28 shows, it was the first dance performance for many in the audiences, and a lot of them continued to come to subsequent shows, sometimes seeing as many as 20 or more! It was really a great response! Bolero in Kaohsiung originated from a program that came many years before, the Dance-Travel Project, but went deeper into the city. I wanted to truly touch the city and bring the locals closer to art in the most incidental way. We connected with the public via the bridges of dance and sharing.
Which dance do you want to write about?
This year, besides Bolero in Kaohsiung, the biennial Taiwan Dance Platform is on. It includes the Dance Writing Workshop, through which writing and dialogue will emerge. There will be teaching on what should be watched when a dance is being reviewed, instruction on writing professionally about dance for first-timers, and a talk on performing arts history. Participants will be allowed to speak directly with artists before they begin writing to help them organize their thoughts and gain direction. Writing about a dance is a form of "textual performance." Participants may make their writing strategies with the help of artists, or just purely share how they feel about what they have seen to inspire more people to come and watch. Everyone can dance, so perhaps everyone can write down their feelings about dances they have watched.
Imagery and movement unbounded by borders
Dance en Scene—An Initiative of Commissioning New Dance Films in Asia and the open call for Screendance submissions were prompted by over two years of Covid as well as the observations and challenges I have taken on as a resident artist and curator at Weiwuying. Videos of dance imply a very unique vocabulary. They allow dance and filmmakers another method, perspective, and level of interpretation for being understood through dialogue between the body and video. In October this year, these videos will be put on exhibition. Visitors may walk among them, immersing themselves in an array of imagery and movement unbounded by borders while enjoying dances of all kinds from all over the world.
Dance, whether in video or live performances and regardless of being performed inside a theater or outside in a plaza, needs to be viewed over and over. Dance is a form of momentary art—it happens, and then it is gone, so it is in that moment that all the feelings it inspires are triggered and become deep memories in the heart. Outside of speech, how can we both hold onto and share what we have felt in our hearts? Everyone who dances in these videos has poured their soul into them, which is why the dances are so fascinating. Don’t miss the Taiwan Dance Platform, curated by me, where we will connect on this island and bring the body and feelings closer together!
Learn More:
10/22(Sat)-11/20(Sun)
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