Residents of Taipei who are stuck in the city during the Lunar New Year often resort to eating, drinking and playing mahjong for wholesome family entertainment. A more lively alternative will be staged next weekend: free outdoor performances from Spain and Taiwan’s Amis tribe (阿美族) at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Plaza, which open the 2010 Taiwan International Festival (2010台灣國際藝術節).
The festival, whose theme is Diversity and Sustainability, runs through March 28 and features Taiwanese and international performances of dance, music and theater from nine countries including Germany, France, Denmark and Colombia.
Spain’s Sol Pico Dance Company draws attention to the issue of dwindling water supplies in Sirena a la Plancha, an abundantly humorous and sensual performance that tells the story of a woman who changes into a mermaid to save the world from drying up.
Sirena a la Plancha is approximately one hour long and begins at 8pm on Feb. 19.
For Ilisin — Amis Harvest Festival Dances, the Formosa Aboriginal Song & Dance Troupe (原舞者) brings the harvest dances of the Amis communities of Hualien to the capital.
More than 200 Aboriginal performers will participate in the year-end festival, held to worship and offer gratitude to ancestors and deities as well as pray for good harvests and fortune in the
coming year.
The Ilisin festival, which usually lasts several days, has been condensed into a two-hour long event that begins on Feb. 20 at 6pm.
A daring attempt at blending tribal sounds with a Western orchestra and contemporary music, On the Road (很久沒有敬我了你) was born of a collaboration between Aboriginal musicians from Taiwan Colors Music (角頭音樂) and the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO, 國家交響樂團) under conductor Chien Wen-pin (簡文彬). It hits the National Concert Hall stage later this month
British composer George Fenton continues the green theme with The Blue Planet Live, a concert that sees the NSO and Taipei Philharmonic Chorus (台北愛樂合唱團) performing the multi-award winning score Fenton wrote for the television documentary series The Blue Planet, produced by the BBC and Discovery Channel.
Taiwan International Festival’s bilingual Web site can be found at tif.ntch.edu.tw.
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