Reshaping modern dance since bursting onto the scene in the 1980s, Dance Forum Taipei keeps thinking outside the box.
Situated in a quiet alley off Taipei City’s Dunhua North Road, the Crown Theater is likely to go unnoticed by first-time visitors to the bustling streets of the capital’s Songshan District. But one afternoon in late August, the building is a hive of activity as performers from Dance Forum Taipei (DFT) move in perfect harmony at a media preview of their latest work “Dance Force,” a three-part piece specially choreographed by Japan’s Toru Shimazaki to mark the troupe’s 30th anniversary.
“To achieve this kind of fluency requires quite a lot of practice,” said Ping Heng (平珩), DFT’s founder and artistic director. “Shimazaki’s work is all about the performer aligning each step of the choreography with every beat of the music.”
Aside from its anniversary, DFT also has another reason to celebrate. This year it earned a coveted Taipei Cultural Award, a prize granted annually since 1997 by Taipei City Government to individuals and groups from around Taiwan that contribute to the capital’s cultural landscape. For a troupe long calling the city home, the honor is testimony to decades spent building a reputation for excellence and innovation.
DFT performs “Becoming” in 2018, a dance created by Spanish choreographer Iván Pérez. (Photo courtesy of Dance Forum Taipei)
DFT’s predecessor, Taipei Dance Workshop, was launched by Ping in 1984 soon after she returned from studying for a master’s degree in dance at New York University in the U.S. Her goal was to provide a space for Taiwan dancers and experimental theater groups to practice and perform. “At the time, it was one of the only platforms for local performers to come and interact with one another,” said Ku Ming-shen (古名伸), an experienced professional known for promoting contact improvisation, a form of improvised dancing performed with two or more people.
When Ping came back to Taiwan in the 1980s, American-style modern dance influenced by performers such as Martha Graham was prevalent, as popularized by the country’s first professional troupe New Taipei City-based Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. “So I made a conscious decision to invite teachers specializing in different styles to the workshop to try and break out of this stylistic rut,” she said.
Talent Development
In 1989, the group adopted the DFT name and began to recruit full-time professional dancers, but its overall vision remained unchanged. “We invited various Taiwan choreographers to work with us in our first five years. No other troupe in the country offered so many opportunities to local talents,” Ping said.
Performers spread their wings during “The Adventure of Spiders—Fly, Fly, Fly,” a 2018 production aimed at parents and children. (Photo courtesy of DFT)
This focus on developing the industry has seen many notable choreographers emerge from DFT. Among them is Ku, who choreographed one of the company’s opening performances 30 years ago. “Dance troupes tend to serve as exhibitions for the founder’s work, but Ping’s group is something different,” she said.
Even during periods with a sustained creative figurehead, such as its five-year collaboration with Yang Ming-lung (楊銘隆), DFT has retained its experimental edge. From 2000 through 2005, the troupe featured a series of works by Yang, then its artistic director, which were inspired by traditional performance arts like glove puppetry and Peking opera. One novelty during this time was a performance where dancers wore wheeled shoes to better simulate the movement of a puppet across stage. According to Ping, this led to more than a few tumbles during practice, but the group’s performers were quick to adapt to the new challenge.
Yang’s leadership also saw the inaugural DFT tour of Europe in 2002, following on from previous overseas performances in Southeast Asia and the U.S. The visit forged lasting links that ultimately resulted in the company’s first international co-production “The Unreality of Time,” which was released in 2012 in collaboration with Netherlands-based Korzo Theater and choreographed by Spain’s Marina Mascarell.
Dancers from DFT teach the steps from “Dance Force” to students at a senior high school in Taipei. (Photo courtesy of DFT)
The fluid nature of DFT, which has performed pieces by 56 choreographers both domestic and foreign while touring in 39 cities abroad, means that its dancers have to be prepared for any eventuality, said Chen Kai-yi (陳凱怡), the group’s assistant artistic director. “Our style varies with different choreographers, so performers who are set in their ways can find it difficult,” she added.
Past, Present, Future
DFT’s reputation has attracted some of the industry’s best to work on the group’s productions, including Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun (譚盾), who orchestrated the music for the 2015 production “Hui,” and Lin Ching-ru (林璟如), a costume designer and winner of the National Award for Arts. The troupe has also partnered with talented individuals from outside the dance industry such as architects, Ping said. “We always want to try new things and enjoy having our expectations subverted.”
This year’s productions continue DFT’s long-standing commitment to original ideas. In May, it presented a multipart work at its Crown Theater base, with each section choreographed by one of the troupe’s former or current dancers. Collectively titled “Jiang,” an improvised Chinese word suggesting the group’s resilience, the seven-segment piece explored subjects like the contrast between reality and fantasy as well as the consequences of media misinformation. “‘Jiang’ is a perfect example of how dynamic and creative our company can be,” said Chen, who choreographed one of the movements.
“Growing Up” by Chen is one movement in the seven-part opus “Jiang.” (Photo courtesy of DFT)
In the three decades since its formation, DFT has worked to develop talent at home but also looked outside of Taiwan, which is why the troupe chose to collaborate with three international choreographers for the anniversary celebrations. After Shimazaki, who the group first worked with in 2007, next year will see further productions by Japan-based all-male outfit Condors from Tokyo as well as long-time partner Mascarell.
DFT’s success means it is set to grow to an unprecedented 12 full-time members by year-end. And starting in April, the group plans to tour around 100 local schools by the end of 2020, where its members will share the stories behind their dances while providing a rare opportunity for students to study under their tutelage.
As the troupe continues to grow in both size and influence, Ping is confident it will stay true to its principles. “We’ll always be an inclusive platform for choreographers and artists from around the world who are searching for a place they can truly express themselves,” she said. “That’s what a true dance forum is meant to be.”
Write to Oscar Chung at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw