A bit of Taiwanese culture will dance into Towson University this weekend.
The Taipei Folk Dance Theatre, which has performed in more than 40 countries with more than 600 performances, will present “Dream World: Dance and Music from Taiwan” at Towson University on Saturday.
Suewhei Shieh, the director of the Asian Arts and Culture Center at Towson University, said that the theater puts on a beautiful show. “It?s such a sophisticated technical presentation,” she said. “It?s very dramatic ? every dance carries a story.”
The theater was founded in September of 1988 by Professor Li-Hua Tsai as the first professional ethnic dance company in Taiwan. They are known for their unique style of traditional Taiwanese folk dance combined with modern dance elements.
Traditional dance in Taiwan consists of elements of walking and stamping movements in unison accompanied by melodic choruses. The costumes usually have small bells or metal instruments that make noise while the dancers are performing.
The program consists of eight separate dances highlighting subjects like Buddhism, love, traditional folk legends, the Paiwan tribe, martial arts and other themes. The dances are enhanced by the colorful costumes and props like swords, sticks and fans.
“One of the dances is called ?A Ferry-Boatmen Romance,? which is a popular Taiwanese story about a young girl who wanted the ferryman to take her across the river,” Shieh said. “But he falls in love with her and there is some very subtle flirting and lots of humor in that selection.”
IF YOU GO
“Dream World: Dance and Music from Taiwan”
» Venue: Towson University, Stephens Hall Theatre, 8000 York Road, Towson
» Time: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
» Cost: $5 to $15
» More info: www.towson.edu/asianarts
