The Lan Yang Dancers (蘭陽舞蹈團) take their name from the Lan Yang Plain (蘭陽平原) in Ilan County. They began life 40 years ago when Italian Catholic missionary Gian Carlo Michelini established the Ilan-based Lan Yang Youth Catholic Center (蘭陽青年會). Since then, the group has developed into one of Taiwan's foremost exponents of traditional dance and highly successful ambassadors on the international arts stage.
Widely touted as Taiwan's best traditional dance ensemble, the group will be putting on a revival show entitled The Best of 40 Years of Lan Yang (蘭陽四十-精華再現), which will tour Taipei, Ilan, Taichung and Chiayi starting tomorrow. As the title suggests, this will be a chance to see some of the best pieces of the troupe's repertoire; it will also provide a chance to look back over the troupe's history and the development of traditional dance in Taiwan over the last four decades.
Father Michelini, who trained in the arts in northern Italy, has been keen on preserving the richness of Taiwanese folk dance and creating original works that incorporate elements of tradition, as well as reflecting the lives of Ilan residents. He possesses a sense of mission to promote Taiwanese folk dance and his inspirational power certainly has helped drive the Lan Yang Dancers to pursue the highest standard of excellence and originality. From small beginnings in 1966, the Lan Yang Dancers are now divided into two groups, one based in Lotung (羅東), Ilan County, and the other in Taipei. The groups tour extensively, and have performed around the world.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAN YANG DANCERS
Only recently, the Lan Yang Dancers' Lotung group set off on an 18-day tour of Europe, where they are performing before audiences of thousands. On Aug. 9, the Lan Yang Dancers were received by Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican. In addition, the troupe, composed of young dancers aged from nine to 21, has given more than 700 performances in more than 30 countries and has greatly contributed to Taiwan's cultural diplomacy. All this activity has made the Lan Yang Dancers distinguished cultural ambassadors for Taiwan.
Michelini himself has been praised by media all over the world for his work in heritage conservation and last year he was awarded the title of “cultural ambassador” by the Council for Cultural Affairs.
“Culture is the spirit and power of a nation and Taiwan needs to make its culture known worldwide,” Michelini said in a telephone interview on Monday.
Michelini said that many items in the Lan Yang Dancers' repertoire are intended to introduce the strength and beauty of Taiwan's folk culture through the language of dance to international audiences.
In addition to his achievements with the Lan Yang Dancers, Michelini has also been instrumental in promoting the annual Ilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival (宜蘭國際童玩藝術節). The festival, which has run for the last two months, will end this Sunday.
Why did Michelini devote so much time and effort to Taiwan's dance culture when working in the Lan Yang Plain, an area which, when he arrived in the 1960s, was both poor and isolated from the main currents of Taiwan's economic and cultural life?
“I felt there was a lack of appreciation of the breadth and depth of the cultural heritage in Ilan, and I wanted the local residents to love and appreciate their native soil and improve the local situation,” he said.
He also said that his mission in guiding young members of the Lan Yang Dancers has been to teach them to “appreciate their culture [by] using dance to open their hearts and minds in order to reach the profound spiritual meanings in life … . We need to develop kids to care about their surroundings and culture so that they will be aware after they grow up.”
One of the greatest hurdles for Michelini, as for many other artists in Taiwan, has been funding constraints. Although he complained, he said he was demonstrating his “commitment to the advancement of Taiwanese folk dance.”
Michelini hopes to establish a Lan Yang University of the Arts in order to carry out his goal of creating a better environment for arts education. He said the basis of this education would be to teach “an appreciation of the beauty of human life.”
Since 1992, as a further step towards improving the training of the dancers, Michelini has dedicated considerable effort to developing ballet skills within the group, and invited instructors from Hungary and Russia to pay regular visits to Taiwan to disseminate their techniques.
“Ballet is the foundation of all dance forms,” said Michelini, “therefore, all members of the Lan Yang Dancers must take ballet classes as part of their training routines.”
In the course of his efforts, Michelini has cultivated several hundred young dancers, some of whom later made a career in dance.
The works to presented, though drawn from the company's repertoire, have been restaged, with new props and costumes.
The program will include Chinese folk dance, Taiwanese folk dance, and Aboriginal dance. A dance based on the “Chiang Gu” (搶孤) — a folk competition that is part of the annual ghost festival — presents local Taiwanese customs.
Ilan native and Germany-based choreographer Lin Mei-hong's (林美虹) delicate and graceful choreographic work titled Peacock Forest (孔雀林) is worthy of note.
Lin has choreographed for the troupe for many years, and in this piece, she wove an ancient Chinese folk story into the dance. Her previous choreography, Princess Kavalan, was a successful example of multidisciplinary dance, in which elements of folk dance, ballet and even Chinese opera were incorporated.
Michelini has successfully drawn on Taiwan's culture to create a special performance — for the Lan Yang Dancers are more than a dance troupe. They are a medium for the preservation of Ilan's and Taiwan's dance heritage, and they touch the hearts of Taiwanese and international audiences. This retrospective show encapsulates the long journey Michelini has taken with the Lan Yang Dancers.
Performance Notes:
What: The Best of 40 Years of Lan Yang
When and Where: Tomorrow at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2:30pm at the Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台), 25 Bade Rd Sec 3, Taipei (台北市八德路三段25號); Aug. 26 at 7:30pm at the Yilan Performing Arts Center, Ilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau (宜蘭縣文化局演藝廳), 482 Zhongshan Rd Sec 2, Ilan City (宜蘭市中山路二段482號); Sept. 16 at 7:30pm at the Taichung County Cultural Center (台中縣立文化中心), 782 Yuanhuan E Rd, Fungyuan City, Taichung County (台中縣豐原市圓環東路782號); Oct. 1 at 2pm at Chiayi Performing Arts Center (嘉義縣表演藝術中心), 265 Jianguo Rd Sec 2, Minsyong Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣民雄鄉建國路二段265號)
Tickets: For Taipei performances tickets are NT$400 to NT$1,200, for other performances tickets are NT$200 to NT$600; available through ERA ticketing outlets. Visit www.ticket.com.tw or call (02) 2341 9898
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