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Remembranceof things past

Ku and Dancers look back. PHOTO COURTESY OF KU AND DANCERS

Choreographer Ku Ming-shen (古名伸) has achieved more in the past 10 years than many others will in their lifetime.

As head of Ku and Dancers (古名伸舞團), the first improvisational dance troupe in Taiwan, Ku took her modern dance group to perform in places as far apart as Hong Kong, the US, Australia and Europe. She also set up the first and only "contact improvisation" dance workshop in the country, breaking ground by performing at unconventional venues. Ku and Dancers were the first dance group to perform in art galleries around Taiwan. In 2000, Ku launched Taiwan Dance Umbrella, the first such project for dance groups here, in which Ku and Dancers provided administrative assistance for newcomers to perform at the dance festival.

Now, Ku and Dancers is going to perform Salir (出走), a dance theater piece in which Ku looks back on her life through recollecting past events and emotions. Eight dancers, including Ku, perform nine abstract pieces -- connected by Ku's 11 monologues -- revealing the wisdom she has gained throughout the years. The monologues are full of the spirit that searches for life's deeper meaning -- behind the monotonous existence of city dwellers. For instance, there is her observation of the time when a swaying bunch of irises by the window led her to realize that the essence of life is constant movement.

"Things naturally accumulate over time and with each age that passes, they have brought a certain significance on one," Ku said, summing up the past 10 years.

Ku is marking the 10th anniversary of her group with just a dance piece. "Every 10 years is a phase. Now we are putting that phase behind us and have set out on a new phase. That setting out again is `Salir,'" Ku said.

Ku and Dancers will perform Salir at 7:45pm today through Sunday at Huashang Art District Plum Brewery (華山藝文特區 烏梅酒廠), No.1, Ba-de Rd, Sec 1. (北市八德路一段1號). The group has put off for an undecided time their shows at Stock 20 in Taichung and Hua Deng Arts Center in Tainan, originally scheduled for next weekend and the weekend after.

For new schedule and more information, call the group at (02) 2823 2618.
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