Riding on the success of an innovative temple fair dance during the opening ceremony of the Kaohsiung World Games, the Kaohsiung City Government is planning to promote the dance at the renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the biggest arts festival in the world.
The innovative temple fair dance involves “seven-star” steps that were traditionally danced by Taoist deity sedan-chair carriers during religious festivals and are accompanied by loud traditional temple tunes and neon lights.
The dance was billed by the city government as the “Taike Dance” because of the strong Taiwanese folklore characteristics surrounding it, said Shih Che(史哲), director-general of the city government’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs.
The bureau is planning to organize a “Taike Dance” company, which will train regularly so that it can represent Kaohsiung City at the next Edinburgh Festival Fringe next August, Shih said.
To attract further interest, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) is inviting people to join her for a record-setting event where it is hoped some 100,000 people will take part in a “Taike Dance” at Kaohsiung’s Lotus Pond at 2pm on Sunday, Shih said.
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