TAIWAN BOASTS a long tradition of classical dance but that does not mean its dance culture is frozen in the past. In fact, over the past 50 years Taiwan has produced some of Asia's leading innovators in contemporary dance.
'Taiwan is a very special case in the dance community,' said Zhang Xiao-xiong, a Taiwan-based dancer, teacher and choreographer. 'There's very good training available and the dance community is quite big for the country's population.'
Zhang will be leading dance workshops at the Hong Kong Dance Festival, and his students will perform his work, A Few Chapters of Flowing Life, on June 17 as part of the 20th Anniversary International Festival of Dance Academies.
Taiwan's dynamic dance scene is driven by powerhouses such as the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, considered to be Asia's leading contemporary dance company; U-Theatre; Taigu Tales Dance Theatre; Taipei Dance Circle and Dance Forum Taipei, one of the country's most avant-garde dance companies.
Zhang said the grounding in dance basics available in Taiwan's high schools and private schools was the foundation of the country's vibrant contemporary dance scene. He said many students who auditioned for the College of Dance at the Taipei National University of the Arts, where Zhang is an associate professor, came already equipped with good basic technique.
According to Zhang, the Taiwanese dance scene has been undergoing changes in recent years. The Graham technique, which had long held sway in contemporary dance, was giving way to new, more experimental styles.
Meanwhile, a new generation of dance choreographers was emerging from the sea of talent, Zhang said.