Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014
Taiwan’s Ministr y of Culture proudly presents the inaugural Taiwan Season. This spectacular showcase of Taiwan’s performing arts will offer a diverse spectrum of contemporary dance, physical theatre and music, with radical new interpretations of the country’s aboriginal culture by five of its hottest companies, now emerging onto the international stage.
Feng Dance Theatre’s Kid Box integrates interactive digital effects with elegant choreography, creating innovative and moving dance works. The Langasan Theatre’s Misa-Lisin presents the profound artistic traditions of Taiwan’s Amis tribe, with ancient songs, choreography, and rituals that bring their intriguing culture vividly to life. The Grammy and American Independent Music Award nominated Ten Drum Art Percussion Group has rocked audiences from Sydney to Avignon with Impression of Taiwan, a mind-blowing work of percussive art. Tjimur Dance Theatre’s Kurakuraw Dance Glass Bead invents new creative possibilities for aboriginal dance, expressing the spirit of the ‘Paiwan’ tribe in a technically stunning and thematically innovative production. Jade and Artists Dance Troupe’s Eggs of Blessings explores the tensions between Eastern aesthetics and the narrative techniques of the West to form intensely dramatic dance productions that have toured Europe and South America to critical success.
www.taiwanseasonfringe.com facebook.com/taiwanseason twitter.com/taiwanseason
Feng Dance Theatre
KID BOX This double bill of two short works starts with Kid, exploring the complex relationships between mother and child through light and shadow with extraordinary movement and combination of noises, sounds and melodies to challenge and potentially manipulate the audience’s auditory perception. While Box considers and experiments with the form and concept of a cube, from the black box space containing the performance, to the houses we live in, the cases we carry to work and overseas and the box that contains a young boy’s dream.
Choreographer
Dominique Feng-Hsi YEN
Lighting designer Fang-Yu SUNG
Image designer
Jiou Li (Box), Fang-Yu SUNG (Kid)
Sound/Voice designer Ming-Tse CHEN
Voice
Monique Feng-Yi YEN (Box)
Music advisor
Monique Feng-Yi YEN (Box)
Music adapter
Yi-Jing CHEN (Box)
Recording Singing group
Box: Monique Feng-Yi YEN, Ming-Tse CHEN, Huai-Chi SUN, Sophie Lin-Hsin CHENG
Performers
Kid: Hsiu-Ju YANG, Wan-Chen CHANG Box: Hsiu-Ju YANG, Wan-Chen CHANG, Dominique Feng-Hsi YEN, Chien-Hsuan HUNG, Chih-Wei YU, Meng-Ting LIU
The Feng Dance Theatre has been exploring the possibilities of dance as an art form since 2005, with each production executed in a crossdisciplinary manner, assembling an elite group of artists from varying backgrounds. Summerhall (Main Hall) 1- 24 (not 4,11,18) Aug, 1pm (1.45pm) £12 (£10 concs.), previews (1- 3 Aug) £8 0131 560 1581 www.summerhall.co.uk 1 Summerhall Edinburgh, EH9 1PL
Dominique Feng-Hsi YEN (Chief Art Officer) fengdance2005@gmail.com domiyen@gmail.com +886-9-1815-8214
http://www.fengdance.org
Langasan Theatre
Misa-Lisin Langasan Theatre derives its name from a mountain in Hualien (on the West coast of Taiwan) called Cilangasan mountain, that legendarily contains the treasures of fables and tales of Cilangasan clan. Misa-Lisin means ‘ceremonies in all seasons’, and the work is informed and inspired by collective recollections, the power of humanity and the notion of ‘motherland’.
Director Adaw·Palaf·Langasan
Screenwriter
Adaw·Palaf·Langasan and performers
Lighting engineer Anu·Kaliting·Sadipongan
Public relations specialist Zhi Yun HUANG
Performer
Sayum·Vuraw, Amale·Gadhu, Yu-Hsien LIU, Adaw·Palaf·Langasan, Han-Ya CHANG, Zuvonne YAO
Musician
Chi-Ying LEE
Singer
Guang-Shin ZENG
Langasan Theatre’s founder Adaw Palaf is a senior aboriginal performer in Taiwan, and the company’s work incorporates mixes of dancing, singing and story-telling, interpreting an aboriginal culture with concepts of modern live performance in order to keep it alive. Jade HUANG (Public Relations Specialist) jade7595@gmail.com +886-3-870-6613 +886-9-7859-0383 Summerhall (Old Lab) 1 – 24 (not 4,11,18) Aug, 5.20pm (6.05pm), £12 (£10 concs.), previews (1 – 3 Aug) £8 0131 560 1581 www.summerhall.co.uk 1 Summerhall Edinburgh, EH9 1PL
http://langasan.wordpress.com
Ten Drum Art Percussion
Impression of Taiwan With an album, Island of Drums nominated for the 52nd Grammy Awards (2010) in the Traditional World Music category, Ten Drum Art Percussion present an epic scene of humanity, culture and the countryside, with a powerful drum part bringing natural energy into their signature performance. Founder and composer Shih HSIEH began playing the drums at the age of three. The mind-blowing percussive art rocked audiences at the Sydney Olympics, the Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Shanghai World Expo, the Festival d’Avignon, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
Venue150 at EICC (Lomond Theatre) 1- 24 Aug £12 (£10 concs.), 1- 12 Aug (no show 11) 6pm, 13- 17 Aug 5pm, 19- 24 Aug 6.30pm (no show 20), Previews (1- 2 Aug) £10 (£8 concs.), 0131 300 3000 www.eicc.co.uk/entertainment 150 Morrison Street, EH3 8EE
Artistic Director Shih HSIEH
Performers
Meng-Wei LIN, Sheng-Yun HUANG, Meng-Hsuan CHEN, Tai-Ying LU, Chien-Hsing CHIANG, Cheng-Hsueh SUN, Chia-Ming HSIEH, Huai-Cheuh HSIEH
Technical Staff Ju-Shan LIN
Administrators
Ching-Fen CHANG, Hsin-Yi CHANG, Shu-Man HSUEH, Hui-Jen CHENG
Leader Meng-Wei LIN
Graphic Design Studio Zi-Wei LEI
Ten Drum Art Percussion Group was established in 2000 with the aim of capturing local Taiwanese culture and to train future percussionists. The word “Ten” in the group’s name represents the generating powers from all directions that combine to form unity. Hsin-Yi CHANG (Production and Tour Management) hsinwuebben@gmail.com tdpercussion.eu@gmail.com +49-2408-985-1130 +49-176-3921-3041
http://www.ten-hsieh.com.tw
Tjimur Dance Theatre
Kurakuraw · Dance Glass Bead This work is a narrative of the kurakuraw Paiwan (an aboriginal group of Taiwan) bead legend, combining traditional Paiwan music with contemporary dance to create a means by which to illustrate a new style of traditional and modern Paiwan dance, blending tradition and innovation. The performance considers the ancient relationship between glass beads and Paiwan society: the beads are of great importance to the Paiwan, considered heirlooms and used in engagement and marriage. In traditional Paiwan society only the nobility were able to have glass beads, which were a symbol of status: each bead is of a different color and pattern, with each passing on a different legend and given name, making the beads sacred.
Dance Base (Studio 3) 1 – 24 Aug (not 4, 11, 18), 6.30pm (7.15pm), £12 (£10 concs.), previews (1 – 3 Aug) £8 0131 225 5525 www.dancebase.co.uk/Festival14 14 – 16 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JU
Company Director/ Artistic Director I-Hsin LIAO
Choreographer Madilin Balu
Set Designer Tjimur Dance Theatre
Lighting designer & technician Yi-Wen LIN
Music Director Chiung-Hui HUANG
Costume Designer Chun-Lin PENG
Accessory Designer Yu-Ling WU
Performers
Chu-Yuan HSU, Ching-Hao YANG, Ching-An TSAI, Shu-Yuan LEE, Yi-Chun CHEN
Public Relations Specialists
Min LIAO, Daniel Christopher Moore
Arts Administration Shu-Ting CHIU
Tjimur Dance Theatre is the first Paiwan modern dance company in Taiwan. Tjimur Dance Theatre was established in April 2006, and jointly led by founder Ying-jie LIAO, artistic director Yi-hsin LIAO, and budding choreographer Balu Madilin. Su-Ting CHIU (Administration Assistant) tjimur@gmail.com +886-8-799-4849 +886-9-7620-3213 http://tjimur.weebly.com
Jade and Artists Dance Troupe
Eggs of Blessings Fusing the elegant and modest dance movements of the East with the expressive dance techniques of the West under the leadership of Artistic Director Jade Pi-yu HUA, Eggs of Blessings is based on the lives of Taiwanese people in the 1940’s when communities lived and played together, specifically the traditional housing of three or four-section compounds, before the onset of TV and modern electric devices. In Taiwanese traditions, red eggs are passed around when the new-born babies get to one-month old, when families, relatives and people from the neighborhood get together in the courtyard to give blessings and share the happiness of the new life. The eggs symbolise the coming of the next generations and contentment; the red colour also suggests good luck and peace.
Dance Base (Studio 3) 1- 24 Aug (not 4, 11, 18), 8pm (8.45pm), £12 (£10 concs.), previews (1- 3 Aug) £8 0131 225 5525 www.dancebase.co.uk/Festival14 14 - 16 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2JU
Original Creative Ideas Mei-lings TSAI, Yu-ju HSU
Artistic Director & Choreographer Jade Pi-yu HUA
Co-choreographers Wei-ling HSU, Eddie Chun-hui LIN
Dancers
Wei-ling HSU, Yen-Lin CHOU, Eddie Chun-hui LIN, Szu-Ming CHEN, Yi-Ju CHEN
Admin Jane WEI
Lighting Design & Tech Rabi LIN
Jade and Artists Dance Troupe was founded in 1997. The character and style of the troupe combines the elegant and modest dance movements of the East with the expressive dance techniques of the West. Jane WEI (Administrative Director) jadedance@gmail.com +886-9-3551-0285
http://www.fengdance.org
Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture has been serving as a major public sponsor to theatre companies in Taiwan since its antecedent organisation the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) was established in November 1981. In May 2012, the CCA was restructured and upgraded to the Ministry of Culture, with a vision to create more opportunities for Taiwan-based artists and groups to showcase work to a global audience. Having established a UK presence in London for the first time in 2012, the MoC has supported 9 Taiwanese artistic companies and individual performers to stage their shows at the Fringe. To better support the journey of small and medium sized theatre companies on the international stage, the MoC has initiated its first Taiwan Season to make a full festival run at the world’s largest arts platform.
http://english.moc.gov.tw
Performance Infinity is a London based performing arts management agency. We offer a range of services including artist management, touring and events management, festival organisation and cultural consulting to a variety of arts organisations and artistic companies as well as to individual artists and performers.
http://www.performanceinfinity.org
With thanks to all the organisations, companies and individuals who have so generously supported the Taiwan Season in Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We are grateful for the support of all our lovely audience. Enjoy our performances and enjoy your time in Edinburgh!
KID BOX Summerhall – Main Hall (V26) 13:00 MISA-LISIN Summerhall – Old Lab (V26) 17:20 IMPRESSION OF TAIWAN EICC – The Lomond Theatre (V150) 17:00/18:00/18:30 KURAKURAW DANCE GLASS BEAD Dance Base – Studio 3 (V22) 18:30 EGGS OF BLESSINGS Dance Base – Studio 3 (V22) 20:00 www.taiwanseasonfringe.com facebook.com/taiwanseason twitter.com/taiwanseason