Bare Feet Dance Theatre

Curatorial Perspective

Bare Feet Dance Theatre is known for their works based on long-term and grassroot “field research.” The dance theater has visited and studied folk rites, musical troupes, and sites of ceremonies for a long time. Their works often involve the perception of the essence of land, and feature performances that seem to honor the presence of deities, transforming folk and religious rituals into contemporary Taiwanese artistic works. Choreographer Lin I-Chin grew up surrounded by tradition. Her childhood memories include the physical movements and sounds of temple ceremonies, which have nurtured her sense of aesthetics. In terms of physicality, Tsiàh Thóo Project emphasizes on stomping, dragging, and squishing, in an attempt to connect and communicate with the land. In terms of music, the inspiration is the vibe and events of the earth and the sky, calling on the energy of connection between people and nature. Starting from individual life experiences interlaced with Taiwanese historical incidents, they produce a rich tapestry woven with multiple narrative threads, multilayered metaphors, and diverse perspectives, embodying the history of the Taiwanese body. The choreographer engages in dialectic dialogues through experimental dance, depicting how history, memory, tradition, and legacy are converted into quintessential elements in the discourses about contemporary artistic creation. On the other hand, the field research of the dance theater centers on the folk beliefs of the Han Chinese people and the locals. After re-investigating the Taiwanese history of body techniques outside the academic scene, they have employed various context, involving Beiguan, electronic music, “Siāng-tshe-kong” (a traditional Chinese music notation), to introduce diverse value of beliefs, while further exploring the world of natural species. Therefore, as the work perceives and contemplates on the space-time of “animism,” it also inquires again into the new world in which all things are sentient.

Creation Description

Tsiàh Thóo is a dance piece comprised of traditional Pak-kuán, contemporary percussion, and electronic music. Choreographer Lin I-Chin grew up surrounded by tradition. Her childhood memories include the physical movements and sounds of temple ceremonies, which have nurtured her sense of aesthetics. Tsiàh Thóo not only includes traditional elements, but also Western electronic music to connect to the current era. Strong beats, powerful music, and low center of gravity form critical questions about highly developed environments: What will our future surroundings be like? What will our future bodies look like? In terms of physicality, Tsiàh Thóo emphasizes stomping, dragging, and squishing, in an attempt to connect to and communicate with the land. In terms of music, the inspiration is the vibe and events of the earth and the sky, calling on the energy of connection between people and nature. Tsiàh Thóo was commissioned by the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taiwan and premiered at its Experimental Theater in 2020.

The video content for this exhibition was edited by director Chen Li Herng-Ching (Blue One Co., Ltd.), with editing of the original dance theater images by High High Studio. The images of natural landscapes were obtained by Chen Li Herng-Ching (Blue One Co., Ltd.)