Taiwan dancer and choreographer Sheu Fang-yi and a team of internationally recognized artists will premiere their first collaborative work, “Timeless,” Oct. 26 to 28 at the National Theater in Taipei City.
The former principal dancer for the Martha Graham Dance Company said at a news conference June 5 that the work features herself and Wendy Whelan, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, as chief performers, as well as choreographers Akram Khan and Christopher Wheeldon.
In 2010, Sheu collaborated with Khan, a British-Bangladeshi dancer trained in both modern dance and traditional Indian kathak, for his London production of “Gnosis.” Last year, she worked with Wheeldon, a contemporary ballet dancer turned choreographer, at the Vail International Dance Festival in Colorado.
Describing herself as perpetually searching for a spiritual home, Sheu said bringing world-class dance works to Taiwan was an essential part of her journey.
“Not a lot of people in my profession have been able to travel the world and take part in international productions like I have,” said the 41-year-old former Cloud Gate Theatre dancer. “I hope that introducing these great artists to Taiwan can encourage more local talent to aspire to even greater things.”
The work’s title signifies the eternity of art and her persistence in realizing her dreams, and also highlights the potential of art to transcend boundaries of time, space and language, she explained.
Sheu received Taiwan’s National Award for Arts in 2007 and was named an Outstanding Female Dancer by Ballettanz magazine in 2008, among numerous other honors. (THN)
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@gmail.com