Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung City Ballet  Kaohsiung City Ballet (KCB) dancers  rehearse dance pieces for the upcoming  performances Dance Shoe VII ' held at the  Experimental Theater in Taipei today and  tomorrow and in Tainan and Kaohsiung  next month.

Every performance has been a breakthrough for KCB, which has constantly pushed the boundaries of creative dance forms and ideas en pointe. Dance Shoe serves as an interactive platform encouraging young ballet professionals to bring new creations on stage. It also marks a milestone in the field of ballet choreography in Taiwan.

With ballet techniques as the primary choreographic element in mind, Dance Shoe is a m?lange of interdisciplinary concepts, making it unique to the modern-dance-dominated dance market.

"Other than passing down the tradition and elegance of classical ballet, an even more important thing [in Dance Shoe] is to give ballet a more profound meaning behind its lavish costumes," said KCB artistic director Chang Hsiu-ru.

"Audiences tend to reject classical ballet performances by Taiwanese ballet companies since they believe that classical ballet remains strictly the art of the western world and should be performed only by western dancers," Chang said. "Taiwanese ballet professionals must not be dragged into a bog by such myth, but hope lies in our hands."

KCB, founded in 1992, is about to enter its 18th anniversary. The troupe's ultimate goal is to consolidate the skills of professional ballet dancers in southern Taiwan and to promote ballet around the country.

Under Chang's guidance, the KCB is well-known for its versatility and excellence and is considered one of the top dance troupes in Taiwan. For the tenth consecutive year, it has been recognized as a distinguished group in performing arts by the Executive Yuan's Council for Cultural Affairs. It not only maintains the traditions of ballet, but also strives for artistic creation in the hope of strengthening Taiwan's relatively weak ballet environment.

KCB is expected to showcase a wide array of artistic creations in its upcoming ballet presentations. Next month Tainan and Kaohsiung will host Dance Shoe performances.


Written by Lin Ya-ti / culture.tw

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