Life

Taiwan diabolo artists set to tour Latin America

Dancers with Taipei-based Diabolo Dance Theatre perform Aug. 29 ahead of their upcoming visit to Central and South America. (Staff photo/Chen Mei-ling)

• Publication Date：08/29/2012
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Grace Kuo

Taiwan’s Diabolo Dance Theatre will perform in Latin America to promote the nation’s soft power and public diplomacy, according to the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aug. 29.

“The troupe was especially chosen to perform in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay and El Salvador Sept. 2-26 to help our allies in Central and South America learn more about Taiwan’s diverse and innovative culture,” MOFA Minister Timothy Chin-tien Yang said.

“The ensemble, like other performance groups in Taiwan, adds many creative touches to its shows. Most of us are familiar with diabolos, and may even have played with them when we were little. But once these props are handled by the dancers, you can see their beauty and strength.”

Yang added that MOFA has been selecting renowned local art groups to perform abroad in recent years to implement President Ma Ying-jeou’s cultural diplomacy. Last year Musou Band and the Fulfillment String Quartet made a highly successful tour of Taiwan’s Central and South American allies, as well as Saint Lucia, he noted.

“We expect Diabolo Dance Theatre to once again promote Taiwan’s creative and performing arts on the international stage, enhancing our cultural ties with allies.”

Liu Le-chun, art director with Diabolo, said the group will perform their classic “Ocean Heart,” in which the dancers bring aquatic scenes to life through original moves using diabolos with LED, or light-emitting diode, lamps.

The story depicts interaction among various marine elements, including a pearl, mermaids, sharks, sea foam and clown fish, Liu explained. “The different characteristics of each part create diverse lines of movement and visual spectacles that take the audience right into the water.”

In contrast to past performances abroad, which were mostly limited to 10 minutes, the company will present full 90-minute shows on this tour, Liu noted. In addition, it will work with local xylophonists when it plays Guatemala.

Established in 1986 by a group of young artists, the troupe has performed in more than 30 countries, at venues including the National Theater in Taipei City, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto and Expo Dome in Aichi, Japan. (THN)

Write to Grace Kuo at mlkuo@mofa.gov.tw