Peiyi Yuby Peiyi Yu
語言:
English
Photo Credit: Peiyi Yu
THE YOUNG AUDIENCE exclaimed when the dancers of Cal Y Canto dance group wheeled a giant goldfish kite to swoop over them, aghast with wonder. Cal Y Canto‘s performances at the New Taipei City Children’s Art Festival had created a following for themselves. Their performances between July 14 to July 20 at the Children’s Art Festival regularly gathered a crowd of youthful audience every night at 8:30pm. The dancers saw their free for all performances for children as a way to “recover the public space.”
First inspired by a Children’s Art Festival poster, director Marcos Castro saw in Taipei in 2015, Cal Y Canto put together the numbers they performed this year that evolved over the past few years.
Photo credit: Peiyi Yu
“You have to find ways to connect with the people,” said Sophia Gómez. Their numbers saw an adaptation of dragon dance, Taoist religious dance, and ballet, incorporating fantastical kitesswirling around the stage. Dressed as princes and princesses, the characters chased after goldfish, butterflies, rainbow bubbles, and wonderful creatures of the fairy world. Their magical performances draw their youthful audience into merriment at a time when their youthful audience are usually scheduled for bed.
Cal Y Canto started as a local dancing group in northern Spain, from a “beautiful town,” where “the energy in the street is very similar to Taiwan.” In recent years, the small dance group has stepped onto the international stage and performed in Japan, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Russia, England, Holland, Poland, Taiwan, Italy, South Korea, China, Israel, France, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Romania and beyond. They have a special affinity for street performances and public performances. “It is inspiring when you perform in the street and you see the energy of the audience,” said Castro.
Photo credit: Peiyi Yu
“The dance is a form to invite the audience and create a free atmosphere in the streets,” said Marco. Taiwan’s “audience is very enthusiastic,” and performing in public creates an immersive experience. When I asked about public art in Taiwan that they found interesting for their work, Sophie and Marco told me about their experience at Liberty Square. As dancers, the Tai Chi, break dancing, tango, and the guardsman ritual, that ran from dawn to midnight was a sign of artistic energy.
Public performances and street performances were not always easy. Audiences were not always receptive, and public spaces were not always friendly to performance art. “We have to maintain and to resist with the street,” said Sophia. “Open spaces are open spaces if people gather. Public art brings art to people who might not be able to go to opera or go to theater. It gives people the opportunity to see things that they might not see otherwise.”
Photo credit: Peiyi Yu
This year marked the 16th year of New Taipei City’s Children’s Art festival. Government initiated art projects have not always encouraged positive feedback in Taiwan. One of the landmark projects, the International Flora Expo Park, received widespread criticisms during its construction in 2010, for its distinct government aesthetics and its expenditure.
Fast forward to 2024, the distinct government aesthetics of Expo Park have persisted. However, the function of Flower Expo Park evolved over time and has today become a hotbed for break dance in Taipei. Beyond comments and criticisms, perhaps the shared experience of public art is a crucial link for Taiwan to further an open conversation about aesthetics.