Focus Dance Company (焦點舞團), the student-run company of Taipei National University of the Arts’ (TNUA, 國立臺北藝術大學), launches its “Grassroots” (草根限定) program at its Guandu (關渡) campus home tonight.
There will be four performances at the school this weekend, and while tomorrow’s night’s show sold out earlier this month, there are a handful of seats left for the three other shows.
On April 8th the troupe begins a five-city tour that will take them to Taiyuan, Pingtung, Chiayi, Taichung and Kaohsiung.
Photo Courtesy of Focus Dance Company
On the program are 12 works by students and two “master pieces” — Black Hole by alumnus Chang Chien-ming (張建明), who dances with the Brighton, England-based Hofesh Shechter Company, and Every Little Movement by French choreographer Lucas Viallefond.
Most of the student works are solos and duets.
Since that is a lot to pack into one show, and there are a lot of dancers in the company, there are two versions of the program that rotate the student pieces, although Viallefond’s piece will open each show and Chang’s will close it, and two different casts for each program.
There is a regular shuttle bus that runs from the Guandu MRT station to the university. Get off the bus at the first stop on campus and there will be signs directing people to the theater.
■ Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, tomorrow and Sunday at 2:30pm at Taipei National University of the Arts Dance Theater (國立臺北藝術大學展演藝術中心戲劇廳), 1 Xueyuan Rd, Taipei City (台北市學園路1號); April 8 at the Jhongli Arts Center (中壢藝術館), 16 Jhungmei Rd, Taoyuan City (桃園市中壢區中美路16號); April 14 at the Pingtung County Art Center (屏東縣藝術館), 427, Heping Rd, Pingtung City (屏東市和平路427號); May 6 at the Chiayi Performing Arts Center (嘉義縣表演藝術中心演藝廳), 265, Jianguo Rd Sec 2, Minsyong Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣民雄鄉建國路二段265號); May 13 at Taichung Chungshan Hall (台中中山堂), 98 Hsuehshi Rd, Taichung City (台中市學士路98號); and May 20 at the Da-Dong Cultural Center (大東文化藝術中心) 161 Guangyuan Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市光遠路161號) – all performances outside Taipei begin at 7:30pm.
■ Tickets are NT$500 for this weekend’s shows and NT$300 for the rest, available online at www.artsticket.com.tw, at convenience store ticketing kiosks and at the door.
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