Culture in Southern Taiwan : Taiwanese Dance Performance

One of the main "complaints" coming from some of my western friends living in southern Taiwan and Tainan is the lack of "culture stimulation". The assumption is that there are some things happening but that they’re extremely difficult if not impossible for someone  not Chinese fluent to know about and that most shows include a local flavor and are conducted in Chinese. As expats in southern Taiwan are far less organized than what I remember from the time I was living in Taipei, this sometimes creates an atmosphere of cultural frustration.

I challenged some of my Taiwanese friends to share with me some of what’s happening in Tainan and was invited that week as a result to come to the Tsoying High School for Arts performance which was visiting Tainan and the small town of Liudui in Pingtung County. We ended up going to the performance in Liudui which was held at a very new Hakka Culture Center, and although I didn’t expect much from high-school kids, the show was very impressive and at times even exhilarating. I asked for permission to take photos (swear to God), but after two videos someone came up and politely asked me to put down the camera. Still, you can get a taste.

First up was Mongolian dancing (which turns wilder as it progresses)…

Followed by more classical ballet style…

After that it was a combination of modern and traditional Chinese styles that I found magical, which looked a little bit like that…

All in all, 8 parts, amounting to over 2 hours. Was very nice.

So, challenge your Taiwanese friends to find what’s going on. There is probably something happening out there, and every once in a while – it might be something really great.