Unfinished Island Songs
This is a dance that explores the multiplicity and intersectional nature of Taiwanese people that are rooted in the country’s rich history, interweaving the performers’ yearning and homesickness for their motherland. The piece attempts to illustrate the warmth, sincerity, the down-to-earth quality of the people and the place, as well as the confusion, conflicts, and solidarity manifesting throughout Taiwan’s journey to international visibility and recognition. A bittersweet ode to the origins and transformations of the land and its forever cherished, embodied memories.
To be continued...
2023 Bridge Dance Festival
The Bridge Dance Festival began in 2018 as the culmination of four years of Japanese-focused programming at Links Hall, including the National Performance Network Asian Exchange, Beyond the Box, and Links to Japan.
In 2019, producers Links Hall and Asian Improv aRts Midwest partnered with curator Yoshinojo Fujima (aka Rika Lin) to maintain the mission of international cultural exchange and connection in the face of rising US nationalism and its aggressive political reality. The importance of global connections is inspired and supported by mutual respect for both cultural similarities and differences.
Now in its fifth year, Bridge Dance continues to establish its role facilitating AAPI Dancers from Chicago, Japan, and Taiwan will present their own new experimental pieces, exploring the expression of ‘self’.
Featured Artists:
Chih-Jou Cheng/程之柔
Robyn Mineko Williams
Momoko Ishikuro / 石黒桃子
"Dance: a healing rhythm, a hopeful stride, a defiant leap against the quiet of the night. "
**Fun Fact: Most scholars believe that Taiwan is the origin and linguistic homeland of the oceanic Austronesian expansion. Currently, there are 16 Austronesian aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. **
Credit
Bridge Dance Fest Producer................... Links Hall and Asian Improv aRts Midwest
Bridge Dance Fest Curator...............................Yoshinojo Fujima (aka Rika Lin)
Project leader..................................... 程之柔 (Chih-Jou Cheng)
Dancers...............................林芷嫻 (Chih-Hsien Lin) & 程之柔 (Chih-Jou Cheng)
Composers.................................. 蘇妤涵(Miranda Su) & 劉蕙雯 (Hui-Wen Liu)