This weekend Taipei National Arts University's Focus Dance Company (
This year's set of performances, titled Creative Image (亮相), represents a new beginning for the company composed of the college's dance department students. They have a new name and a new outlook. Last September, when the company flew to South Korea to participate in international competition, the school's president, Qiu Kun-liang (邱坤良), was so impressed by the professional caliber of their performance that he urged them to change their name from Freshmen Dance Company (新鮮人舞團) to something more fitting.
"We were the youngest group there. The president felt that everyone there was focusing on us," said senior company member Wu Jia-sui (
Professional is a good word to describe Focus, whose repertoire includes mostly dances composed by students, some of whom have been with the company for seven years. One such dance is Tian jing sha (天淨沙) composed by Zhang Ya-ting (
The only two pieces in the show not choreographed by students were taught to them by members of world-famous dance troupes.
Water Moon (
PHOTO COURTESY OF FOCUS DANCE COMPANY:
The other highlight piece is Set and Reset/Reset, choreographed by a former member of the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Abigail Yager. The piece is inspired by Set and Reset, the landmark Trisha Brown piece recently recognized by the France's Ministry of National Education as one of the three great masterpieces of 20th-century modern dance.
According to Yager, who came to Taiwan two years ago to be with her husband, the Taiwanese choreographer Yang Ming-long (
Performance notes:
What: Focus Dance Company, Creative Images
When: Tonight at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm. Island tour begins on Mar. 16 in Hsinchu.
Where: Taipei National Arts University dance hall (
Getting there: Take the Danshui MRT line to Guandu (
Tickets: NT$300 at the door or through Artsticket outlets: (02) 3393 9888
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern