Theater and dance
The Kaohsiung City Ballet is making its annual trek north this weekend for Dance Shoe 2011, the seventh in a series aimed at fostering the talents of dancers and choreographers from southern Taiwan. Lin Hsiang-hsiu’s (林向秀) 17 Years Old! (十七歲!), a solo, leads off the program, followed by Kao Hsin-yu’s (高辛毓) Smile Holiday (微笑假期), Chang Chien-kuei’s (張堅貴) Harmony Symphony (諧.奏), Yeh Ming-hwa (葉名樺) dancing in her own solo Small Potatoes (小人物) and Hsu Cheng-wei’s (許程崴) Dream (夢).
■ Experimental Theater (國家戲劇院實驗劇場), Taipei City
Photo Courtesy of The Kronos Quartet
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available at the NTCH box office or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Staged as part of the Taiwan International Festival of Arts (2011台灣國際藝術節), Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch’s Agua is the late choreographer’s playful homage to Brazil’s tropical jungles and beaches. For more information about the festival, visit the event’s Web site at tifa.ntch.edu.tw. [See story on Page 14.]
Photo: Taipei Times
■ National Theater, Taipei City
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw.
Photo: Taipei Times
Kaohsiung City Ballet (高雄城市芭蕾舞團) presents the eighth installment of its Dance Shoe series, which was initiated in 2004 to provide young choreographers with a platform to perform in public. Dance Shoe 2011 (2011點子鞋) is composed of works by five choreographers, including Lin Hsiang-hsiu (林向秀), Kao Hsin-yu (高辛毓) and Yeh Ming-hua (葉名樺).
■ Experimental Theater, Taipei City
■ Tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$450, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Established in 1913, Austria’s Salzburg Marionette Theatre brings The Sound of Music to the Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival (高雄春天藝術節) this weekend.
■ Kaohsiung Chihteh Hall (高雄至德堂), 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm and Sunday at 10am
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
The State Ballet of Georgia performs Giselle in Taipei tomorrow and Sunday and Swan Lake in Douliou City, Yunlin County, from Wednesday to next Friday. [See story on Page 14.]
■ Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館), 505, Renai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段505號) and Yunlin County Stadium (雲林縣立體育館樓下特區), 600, University Rd Sec 3, Douliou City, Yunlin County (雲林縣斗六市大學路三段600號)
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm in Taipei, Wednesday to March 11 at 7:30pm in Douliou City
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$4,200, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Tuesdays With Morrie, Godot Theatre’s (果陀劇場) latest production, is the stage adaptation of US author Mitch Albom’s 1997 memoir. In the best-selling work, Albom recounts the lessons he learned from visiting his former professor Morrie Schwartz, who was dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal disease caused by the degeneration of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. The cast is led by actor Chin Shih-chieh (金士傑) in the role of Morrie.
■ Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市八德路三段25號)
■ Tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$3,000, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw
Classical music
The celebrated Kronos Quartet is scheduled to perform in Taipei today and in Kaohsiung on Sunday. The program both times will consist of the same single work, Sun Rings, which is composed of mysterious sounds recorded in space, plus the quartet itself, a chorus, a large amount of video material, and then, in the final section, spoken matter. The Grammy-winning group has been dubbed “the most influential ensemble in the 21st century.” Sun Rings was commissioned by NASA, and Kronos collaborated with composer Terry Riley and visual designer Willie Williams to produce the project.
■ Today at 7:30pm (Taipei) and Sunday at 7:30pm (Kaohsiung)
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City and Kaohsiung Cultural Center’s Chihteh Hall (高雄市文化中心至德堂) at 67 Wufu 1st Rd, Greater Kaohsiung (高雄市五福一路67號)
■ Tickets are NT$500 to NT$2,000 in Taipei and NT$500 to NT$1,800 in Kaohsiung, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Post-Romanticism by the TSO (TSO後浪漫的全面啟動) sees the Taipei Symphony Orchestra (台北市立交響樂團) performing with violin soloist Ilya Grubert under the baton of guest conductor Matthias Bamert. The program includes Sibelius’ Finlandia, Op. 26 and Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47, as well as Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30.
■ Tomorrow at 7:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$300 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Pelleas and Melisande (佩利亞與梅麗桑) is a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra (國家交響樂團) featuring pianist Lilya Zilberstein, a long-term duet partner of pianist Martha Argerich. The concert is part of the 2011 Taiwan International Festival of Arts (2011台灣國際藝術節). The main component of the concert is Arnold Schoenberg’s symphonic poem Pelleas and Melisande, which will be presented together with Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1. The orchestra will be conducted by Lu Shao-chia (呂紹嘉).
■ Sunday at 2:30pm
■ National Concert Hall, Taipei City
■ Tickets are NT$600 to NT$1,500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com
Contemporary
Legacy Taipei, located in a former warehouse at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), hosts top Taiwanese pop performers and international acts. This weekend’s shows featuring pop stars Della, aka Ring (丁噹), tonight and Sunday and Peter Pan (潘裕文) and Stanley Hsu (許仁杰) tomorrow night, are already sold out. On Wednesday, it’s garage rockers 88 Balaz (88顆芭樂籽), and punk groups Inhuman Species (非人物種) and Random. Thursday’s show with Berlin-based dance rock band The Whitest Boy Alive, led by Norwegian indie singer Erlend Oye of the Kings of Convenience, is also sold out.
■ Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號)
■ 8pm tonight Sunday and Thursday, 7:30pm tomorrow and 8:30pm Wednesday
■ Sold out tonight, tomorrow, Sunday and Thursday. NT$500 on Wednesday. Tickets for the venue’s concerts can be purchased at ERA ticketing outlets, online through www.ticket.com.tw or www.legacy.com.tw or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks
The Wall (這牆), Taipei’s most prominent venue for indie rock artists, hosts Japanese rock band Chelsea tonight. The band is also appearing at the Megaport Music Festival in Kaohsiung this weekend. [See story on Page 13.] Opening for the group is garage rock group The White Eyes (白目樂團). Tomorrow veteran alt-rockers The Chairman (董事長樂團) take to the stage, and on Tuesday, UK post-rock band 65daysofstatic performs as a follow-up to its show at Megaport on Sunday.
■ B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1), tel: (02) 2930-0162. On the Net: www.thewall.com.tw
■ 7pm tonight, 8pm all other nights
■ NT$900 tonight (free with the purchase of either a two-day pass or a one-day pass for the Megaport Music Festival), NT$500 tomorrow (NT$400 in advance) and NT$1,400 on Tuesday (NT$1,200 in advance). Tickets for all shows can be purchased online through www.thewall.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Sissey Chao (趙一豪), who sounds like Jim Morrison singing in Mandarin, and his band Double X play tonight at Witch House (女巫店), which regularly hosts shows from both indie rock bands and folk artists in a coffeehouse setting. Tomorrow, it’s indie rock group Pink Haze. On Thursday it’s the Fun Song Band, a group that covers classic rock, funk and reggae.
■ 7, Ln 56, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段56巷7號), tel: (02) 2362-5494. On the Net: www.witchhouse.org
■ Shows start at 9:30pm. Restaurant/bar with queer/feminist bookstore and large collection of board games open 11am to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays, 11am to 1am Thursdays through Saturdays
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300
Real Collective Jazz Quartet (爵士四重奏) performs tonight at Riverside Cafe (河岸留言). Tomorrow Mando-pop singer Hsiao Hung-jen (蕭閎仁) takes to the stage, and on Sunday it’s rock bands Big Danger (大冒險) and Moi. Monday is the venue’s weekly open jam.
■ B1, 2, Ln 244, Roosevelt Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路三段244巷2號B1), next to Taipower Building (台電大樓), tel: (02) 2368-7310. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start tonight at 9:30pm, 9pm other nights. For a list of standard songs and ground rules for the open jam, visit the venue’s Web site
■ NT$400 tonight, NT$400 tomorrow, NT$350 on Sunday and NT$150 Monday. Tickets can purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw or tickets.books.com.tw
Bobby Chen (陳昇), Taiwan’s wild man of pop, performs tonight at Riverside Live House. Tomorrow the venue hosts indie-folk singer Huang Jie (黃玠). [See story on right.] On Thursday it’s nu-metal rockers Chemical Monkeys (化學猴子) and rock group Ground Zero (放射空間).
■ 177 Xining S Rd, Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號), tel: (02) 2370-8805. On the Net: www.riverside.com.tw
■ Shows start at 8:30pm.
■ Entrance is NT$800 tonight and NT$400 tomorrow and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online through www.riverside.com.tw/livehouse or tickets.books.com.tw
Indie groups Deepest (深層) and Mama Swim (大娘下海) take to the stage tonight at Underworld (地下社會), a small basement club in Taipei. Tomorrow it’s psychedelic indie rockers Macbeth (馬克白) and hard rock band Long Hair Monster (長毛怪), which is releasing a new EP. Darjeeling (大吉嶺) and Slack Tide take to the stage on Wednesday night.
■ B1, 45 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1), tel: (02) 2369-0103. On the Net: www.upsaid.com/underworld
■ Shows run from 9:30pm to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm to 11pm on Wednesdays. Underworld is open daily from 9pm, closed on Mondays. Happy hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays before midnight
■ Entrance for music shows is NT$300 on Fridays and Saturdays, which includes one drink, and NT$100 on Wednesdays.
Vincent’s Latin Jazz Band takes to the stage tonight at Sappho de Base, a late night lounge bar that hosts mostly live jazz and blues performances. Tomorrow, it’s blues, rock and funk mavens The Blues Vibrations. MaJam Jazz Quartet (麻將爵士樂團) plays jazz, fusion, funk and blues on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, it’s Flaneur Daguerre, which plays everything from free jazz and Balkan folk to classical and rock ’n’ roll.
■ B1, 1, Ln 102, Anhe Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市安和路一段102巷1號B1), tel: (02) 2700-5411. On the Net: www.sappho102.biz
■ Shows start at 10pm. The venue is closed on Sundays and Mondays
■ Entrance is NT$200 tomorrow, except Tuesday, which is free
EZ5 Live House hosts Mando-pop singers backed by a live band every night. Highlights for the week ahead include male crooner Shin Lung (辛龍), who performs every Saturday, and acclaimed Taiwanese Aboriginal singer Samingad (紀曉君), who performs on Thursday.
■ 211, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段211號), tel: (02) 2738-3995. On the Net: visit www.ez5.com.tw
■ Shows run from 9:45pm to 12:30am
■ Entrance fee (includes two drinks) ranges from NT$600 to NT$850, depending on the performer
Soul and R ‘n’ B singer Djavan performs on Friday nights at Italian restaurant Capone’s. Tomorrow, drummer Abe Nbugu Kenyatta leads a band playing music from his hometown of New Orleans.
■ 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號), tel: (02) 2773-3782
■ Live music from 9pm to 11:30pm on Fridays, 8pm to 11:30pm on Saturdays
■ On Fridays, minimum charge of one drink. On Saturdays, minimum charge is NT$300
Taipei Swing holds dance socials on Friday nights at The Tavern. Dancers of all levels are welcome.
■ 415, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段415號), tel: (02) 8789-0892 On the Net: www.tavern.com.tw
■ 9:30pm to midnight
■ Entrance is free
Tonight 89k, Taichung’s long-established spot for local indie bands, hosts Bass Oasis, a drum ‘n’ bass dance party. Tomorrow it’s expat funk rock band Point 22 (.22), Fear Drive and E for Electro.
■ 21 Daguan Rd, Nantun Dist, Greater Taichung (台中市南屯區大觀路21號)
■ Shows start at 10pm
■ Entrance is NT$300 for all shows
Tomorrow, The Checkered Record Club, an indie music club in Tainan, hosts Inhuman Species (非人物種), which is promoting a new EP, punk rock girls BB Bomb, Ion Fission (離子分裂) and Mama Swim (大娘下海).
■ B1, 314, Simen Rd Sec 2, Greater Tainan (台南市西門路二段314號B1), tel: (06) 222-3238
■ Shows starts at 10pm tomorrow
■ Entrance is NT$250
The Wall (這牆) programs regular live rock shows at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2 Arts Center (高雄駁二藝術特區). This weekend features a full lineup of rock bands at the Megaport Music Festival. [See story on Page 13.]
■ 1 Dayong Rd, Yancheng Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號). On the Net: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw, www.thewall.com.tw
■ Noon to 10pm, tomorrow and Sunday
■ Entrance is NT$1,000 for a one-day pass, NT$1,600 for both days. Advance tickets available through today for NT$800 for single-day pass, and NT$1,400 for both days
From an anonymous office in a New Delhi mall, matrimonial detective Bhavna Paliwal runs the rule over prospective husbands and wives — a booming industry in India, where younger generations are increasingly choosing love matches over arranged marriage. The tradition of partners being carefully selected by the two families remains hugely popular, but in a country where social customs are changing rapidly, more and more couples are making their own matches. So for some families, the first step when young lovers want to get married is not to call a priest or party planner but a sleuth like Paliwal with high-tech spy
With raging waters moving as fast as 3 meters per second, it’s said that the Roaring Gate Channel (吼門水道) evokes the sound of a thousand troop-bound horses galloping. Situated between Penghu’s Xiyu (西嶼) and Baisha (白沙) islands, early inhabitants ranked the channel as the second most perilous waterway in the archipelago; the top was the seas around the shoals to the far north. The Roaring Gate also concealed sunken reefs, and was especially nasty when the northeasterly winds blew during the autumn and winter months. Ships heading to the archipelago’s main settlement of Magong (馬公) had to go around the west side
Some people will never forget their first meeting with Hans Breuer, because it occurred late at night on a remote mountain road, when they noticed — to quote one of them — a large German man, “down in a concrete ditch, kicking up leaves and glancing around with a curious intensity.” This writer’s first contact with the Dusseldorf native was entirely conventional, yet it led to a friendly correspondence that lasted until Breuer’s death in Taipei on Dec. 10. I’d been told he’d be an excellent person to talk to for an article I was putting together, so I telephoned him,
Several recent articles have explored historical invasions of Taiwan, both real and planned, in order to examine what problems the People’s Republic of China (PRC) would encounter if it invaded. The military and geographic obstacles remain formidable. Taiwan, though, is part of a larger package of issues created by the broad front of PRC expansion. That package also includes the Japanese islands of Okinawa and the Senkaku Islands, known in Taiwan as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), to the north, with the South China Sea and certain islands in the northern Philippines to the south. THE DEBATE Previous invasions of Taiwan make good objects
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