Jeff Wu (吳德朗), founder of the Indian Music and Culture Organization (台北印度音樂文化中心), began his life-long love affair with the subcontinent when he bought an Indian drum in Spain. He found himself a percussion teacher, an American living in New Zealand, and was immediately drawn into the kaleidoscopic culture of the ancient civilization.
In 2001, Wu returned to Taiwan with the aim of disseminating his love of Indian culture, and with the help of friends and the Indian Taipei Association started the annual Indian music and dance festival two years ago.
As well as fostering cultural exchanges between artists in Taiwan and India, Wu lectures, writes books and maintains a Web site (www.indianandworldmusic.net) devoted to Indian music.
Wu's undertaking has not been an easy task. “People in Taiwan still have a very limited understanding of Indian culture. The majority either see the region from as an economic angel or stereotype it as a poverty-stricken, third-world country,” Wu said.
As part of his efforts to foster a greater appreciation of Indian culture, Wu teamed up with Tandoor Indian Restaurant (坦都印度餐廳) this year, and has opened a new branch of the eatery on Zhongxiao E Rd. The restaurant-cum-performance space hosts exhibitions and cultural activities.
This weekend, the restaurant will present two classical Indian dances: Kathak from northern Indian and Bharatha Natyam from southern India.
“Indian music and dance are commonly divided into two types, from north and south India. Classical dances differ greatly from region to region. They are mainly performed in god worshipping rituals and depict mythological stories, so the performers need to have a deep understanding of the dances' religious and mythological origins,” Wu said.
According to Wu, Kathak consists of whirling movements that were influenced by Sufism. And unlike other classical dances that could only be performed at shrines and temples in ancient times, Kathak was performed for entertainment, at royal banquets for example, and can be seen in contemporary Bollywood movies.
The Bharatha Natyam is performed as a worship ritual. As Wu points out, sangeet, the Indian word for dance, refers to a combination of dance, singing and theater, and as such is a story-telling art form. The performers are trained in exaggerated facial expressions and over 600 hand gestures that mimic animals and plants and convey abstract emotions such as the joy of love and the hatred of enemies.
Performers are deemed able to perform the elegant and sophisticated dances only after years of training. “Indian music and dance training follows the oral-aural tradition. Performers are required to absorb the arts into their bodies and minds,” Wu said.
The performances will take place at 7:30pm tomorrow night. The restaurant is located at 7, Alley 6, Ln 170, Zhong-xiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei (台北市忠孝東路四段170巷6弄7號). Admission is NT$500 which includes the two dance performances and a buffet. A workshop will be held by an experienced dancer and instructor on Sunday morning at 10am to introduce participants to the spiritual world of Bharatha Natyam. For more information, call (02) 8773-3248.
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