close
Developments of Martial Arts in Taiwan
Master Lee,Chang-chih
All rights reserved
Director of the Martial Arts Faculty
of Intercultural Open University
www.kongfu.org
kongfu@tomor.com
January 31st, 2005
3. Developments in arts
The masculine aesthetics of martial arts have often been the creative ideas of artists. Martial Art itself can also become a unique form of performing art. Here, I would like to introduce a few art groups conceiving their creations based on martial arts.
Hupo Chinese Martial Art is the only group in Taiwan used martial arts as the creative elements. It presents and manifests the aesthetics, philosophy, and military theories through the rich performance of this martial art performing group. It brings martial arts onto the stages. By bringing martial arts onto stages does not mean turning martial arts into dances. Instead, it is a form of art that concerns how to present the masculine aesthetics on stage. It attempts to open the potential of inner and outer strength through the special body language of martial artists. Through choreography, martial art performance took on a refreshing and energetic form to express the unique art of martial arts. Through the performances, the group also wishes to demonstrate the special artistic and health value to the public. Since its establishment, Hupo Chinese Martial Art Company has put on over seventy shows in schools, the Taipei Art Festival, Pingtung International Music/Dance Festival, and the Theater Festival hosted by the Council of Cultural Affairs, cultural centers, the National Day celebration, and various cultural and international activities. Each of its performances received enthusiastic feedbacks.
Dancers of Cloud Gate Dance Company derived their ideas from the Buddhist poem - “Flowers in the mirror and moon in the water will eventually disappear.” The dance movements are developed from Mr. Xiong Wei’s “Tai Chi Channeling” theories. In the Tai Chi of Eastern philosophy, oneself seems to have become the fiercest enemy of one’s own. In the dance, forces that drive a body to move is no longer aimed outward for conquer; it is now channeled inward to conquer the immense inner territory. The beauty of Chinese-style body movements is often contained in martial arts. Martial art movements are also absorbed into theater movements. It is an important part of movement arts in Chinese aesthetics.
Utheater is one of the art groups of Taiwan that have moved to the international stage. It has won the best performance of French Avignon Art Festival in 1997, the most popular show in Leon Dance Art Festival in year 2000, and the Grand Award of the First Taishin Art Award. The theater was established in 1988. The leader, Liu Ruo-Yu (Jing-Min) came from the Nanlin Theater and studied in the U.S. She was profoundly influenced by Grotowski of Poland Theater. He thinks that art should return to life itself. After Huang Zhi-Qun (Zhi-Wen), who is from Malaysia and have learned martial arts since young, joined the Company, he insists in Learning Meditation before Learning Drums. The unique combination of Dao (or Tao) and art became a very special performance of Utheater.
Training of this group of Utheater performers is also unique. Other than regular professionally training, the performers are also trained in folk drumming, martial arts, Tai Chi Channeling, meditation, and so on, and their training site is in the woods and hills of the nature.
Tap-dancing: “This time we combine tap-dancing with Chinese martial arts. This is the first ever in the world”, said leader of Dance Factory. Mr. Hao Jia-Long said, “The idea of combining the two elements of two different cultures is conceived to infuse oriental colors into tap-dancing. The commonly see tap-dancing familiar to the public are all from the west – Irish, American, and British. We want to give the audiences a new and different type of performance. Our dancers enter the stage as ‘Kungfu Heroes’. In the performance, the sound of traditional weapons and rods echoes the taping of shoes. A whole-new stimulating tap-dancing with a combination of Eastern and Western elements was presented.” The dance completely integrated the training and skills of martial arts.
Master Lee,Chang-chih
All rights reserved
Director of the Martial Arts Faculty
of Intercultural Open University
www.kongfu.org
kongfu@tomor.com
January 31st, 2005
3. Developments in arts
The masculine aesthetics of martial arts have often been the creative ideas of artists. Martial Art itself can also become a unique form of performing art. Here, I would like to introduce a few art groups conceiving their creations based on martial arts.
Hupo Chinese Martial Art is the only group in Taiwan used martial arts as the creative elements. It presents and manifests the aesthetics, philosophy, and military theories through the rich performance of this martial art performing group. It brings martial arts onto the stages. By bringing martial arts onto stages does not mean turning martial arts into dances. Instead, it is a form of art that concerns how to present the masculine aesthetics on stage. It attempts to open the potential of inner and outer strength through the special body language of martial artists. Through choreography, martial art performance took on a refreshing and energetic form to express the unique art of martial arts. Through the performances, the group also wishes to demonstrate the special artistic and health value to the public. Since its establishment, Hupo Chinese Martial Art Company has put on over seventy shows in schools, the Taipei Art Festival, Pingtung International Music/Dance Festival, and the Theater Festival hosted by the Council of Cultural Affairs, cultural centers, the National Day celebration, and various cultural and international activities. Each of its performances received enthusiastic feedbacks.
Dancers of Cloud Gate Dance Company derived their ideas from the Buddhist poem - “Flowers in the mirror and moon in the water will eventually disappear.” The dance movements are developed from Mr. Xiong Wei’s “Tai Chi Channeling” theories. In the Tai Chi of Eastern philosophy, oneself seems to have become the fiercest enemy of one’s own. In the dance, forces that drive a body to move is no longer aimed outward for conquer; it is now channeled inward to conquer the immense inner territory. The beauty of Chinese-style body movements is often contained in martial arts. Martial art movements are also absorbed into theater movements. It is an important part of movement arts in Chinese aesthetics.
Utheater is one of the art groups of Taiwan that have moved to the international stage. It has won the best performance of French Avignon Art Festival in 1997, the most popular show in Leon Dance Art Festival in year 2000, and the Grand Award of the First Taishin Art Award. The theater was established in 1988. The leader, Liu Ruo-Yu (Jing-Min) came from the Nanlin Theater and studied in the U.S. She was profoundly influenced by Grotowski of Poland Theater. He thinks that art should return to life itself. After Huang Zhi-Qun (Zhi-Wen), who is from Malaysia and have learned martial arts since young, joined the Company, he insists in Learning Meditation before Learning Drums. The unique combination of Dao (or Tao) and art became a very special performance of Utheater.
Training of this group of Utheater performers is also unique. Other than regular professionally training, the performers are also trained in folk drumming, martial arts, Tai Chi Channeling, meditation, and so on, and their training site is in the woods and hills of the nature.
Tap-dancing: “This time we combine tap-dancing with Chinese martial arts. This is the first ever in the world”, said leader of Dance Factory. Mr. Hao Jia-Long said, “The idea of combining the two elements of two different cultures is conceived to infuse oriental colors into tap-dancing. The commonly see tap-dancing familiar to the public are all from the west – Irish, American, and British. We want to give the audiences a new and different type of performance. Our dancers enter the stage as ‘Kungfu Heroes’. In the performance, the sound of traditional weapons and rods echoes the taping of shoes. A whole-new stimulating tap-dancing with a combination of Eastern and Western elements was presented.” The dance completely integrated the training and skills of martial arts.
全站熱搜
留言列表
