Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind is to attend the Paris Cultural Olympiad, performing Formosan Follies at the Taiwan Pavilion.
She has said the show would introduce Taiwan to the international stage in resplendent fashion.
On April 19, the 28-year-old became the first Taiwanese and first East Asian to be crowned the “Next Drag Superstar” in the globally acclaimed reality television series RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Photo courtesy of MTV via CNA
Nymphia is the drag persona of Leo Tsao (曹米駬), who goes by he/him in everyday life, but she/her when in drag.
Nymphia would be performing as part of the pavilion’s “Taiwan and France” theme at the Cultural Olympiad, an artistic celebration of the Summer Olympics in Paris, the Ministry of Culture said.
The other themes are “Voice of Freedom,” “Island Elegance” and “Cultural Exchanges Between.”
In a recent interview, Nymphia said that her performance would incorporate scenes from Taiwan with Paris-inspired “follies.”
The show is to feature an all-Taiwanese cast and another drag queen.
Nymphia and her drag family, the “House of Wind,” had already been invited to perform at the Cultural Olympiad before she appeared on international television.
She said it was an opportunity she could not refuse.
However, she said she found it challenging to properly portray Taiwan in a performance lasting only 30 minutes.
Much of the creative process involved waiting for inspiration on how to present the show, she said.
Nymphia said it was “significant” to showcase Taiwan, whether on RuPaul’s Drag Race or the Cultural Olympiad, because it is a small nation that does not receive much attention in international politics.
It is sometimes hard to establish a national position for Taiwan, because discussion “always focuses on whether we are Taiwanese or Chinese,” she said.
On top of that, Taiwan consists of multiple ethnic groups, while lacking a strong national identity, she said.
Nymphia said she is “very honored to be able to introduce Taiwan as a drag queen,” because members of the LGBTQ+ community often face societal pressure, confusion regarding their identity and have an urge to express their true selves — all aspects that are similar to Taiwan’s international experience.
Regarding gender issues in Taiwan, diverse opinions are being heard and society is becoming more inclusive, she said.
It would be the first time Taiwan has participated in the Cultural Olympiad under the “Taiwan Pavilion” banner, the ministry said, adding that 22 teams and more than 120 people would make presentations.
The pavilion at Parc de la Villette in Paris is to host three to five performances every day from July 27 to Aug. 10 to showcase Taiwanese arts and culture, the ministry said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS