2009 Taichung International Performing Arts Festival
6/13 (Sat)-6/14 (Sun)
Words by Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau
Translated by Ann Lee
Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau will be hosting the 2009 Taichung International Performing Arts Festival on June 13 and 14 at the WenXin Forest Park's Fulfillment Amphitheatre. The two main themes of this large-scale event are "The Artistic World of Paintings" and "Festivities from the Imaginary World", and the bureau has invited groups from around the world to perform before Taiwanese audiences. A multi-cultural exhibition center, international gourmet food court and an exciting dance showroom will all be set up at the venue, providing festival-goers with a variety of entertainment and the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the different characteristics and distinct features of other countries' cultures. Event hosts are aiming to broaden local residents' international perspectives by showcasing a variety of programs that include singing, dancing and art, enabling audiences to experience multicultural diversity and excitement at one single event.
The WenXin Forest Park and its Fulfillment Amphitheatre are one of the most important cultural-related Taichung developments in recent years. The Cultural Affairs Bureau has planned the festival at this outstanding venue in order to bring the world to residents from Taichung and other parts of Taiwan, allowing them to embrace the rich cultures of the world. It is also hoped that this unique facet of Taichung's rich cultural scene will also help boost tourism.
About 30 local and international performing groups will attend this year's performing arts festival, featuring over 40 amazing, talented performances that include original music, dance, and folk festivities. There will also be exotic foods for enjoyment at the gourmet food court area, plus a cultural exhibition center that will educate audiences further about the connections between different cultures and their local festivities. The end result is the creation of a carnival-like atmosphere that all participants will enjoy.
Invited groups performing at this year's festival include a Hawaiian dance troupe, the American Hawaii Flower of the Volcano Dance Art Group, portraying its passion for nature and a demonstrating a great joyful energy through their dance moves and rhythms. Others include Korea's HATA Traditional Four Kind of Thing Orchestra, a Middle-Eastern Hand Drum And Belly Dance Group, focusing on expressing emotions through a Middle Eastern fusion of music and body language. Zhang Zhone-li and Equinox Latin Jazz Band will be performing together, mixing classical and modern pop music, while the Indian Cultural & Artistic Group will offer a refreshing performance of traditional Peruvian musical instruments, perhaps transporting audience members to a lake in the high mountains of South America. The Uzbekistan Traditional Art Group will also mix European and Asian cultures in a very unique show that shouldn't be missed.
From Taiwan are the innovative veterans of Kenting's Spring Scream, locally-based foreign band Point 22, who consistently capture the hearts of fans with their own unique journey through the roots of rock n' roll. Similarly, The Tonic Band will also be showing off some original rock that expresses its life observations and experiences.
ACME Physical Theater will lead its audience into a world of unknown beauty, using impulsive movements and impromptu touches to add layers of depth to their performance, as if the dancers are moving along geometric lines in an unknown space. Pharoah & Dancer is another outstanding dance troupe that will offer a show combining the essence of ancient Egyptian and palatial dance movements. In yet another performance, Jindowin Band promises to give an explosive performance with speedy scores that will lift its audiences into the sky and through the clouds as they soar towards the skyline.
At the same time, in order to allow more chances for local performing groups to exchange stage experiences and to interact with each other, the festival aims to gather about 20 dance and arts group in one venue for one exotic merging. If you appreciate local arts or any other art form, this is a great opportunity to watch and enjoy shows up close, and learn about the world's abundance of culture via the worlds of art, music and dance. Don't miss the chance to enjoy and party with a diversity of cultures at this unforgettable festival!
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June 2009
