Taishin Bank Foundation for Arts and Culture

Comments on the Finalists

The heritage of indigenous music and dance is excavated from the deep, purified, distilled, and then kneaded into a related theme that is full of struggle – thus we arrive at Qai~i—The Sigh of Memory, arguably the most exciting work of indigenous theatre in recent years. The magnitude of sound and fury in this dance work is disproportionate to its modest scale. The physical and aural expressions of the dancers are both pristine and intense, dissolving the discrepancy between the over-sophistication of professional theater performers and the self-consciousness of amateur indigenous performers. At last, we can rest assured that traditional indigenous music and dance will flourish on the professional stage, and give our applause. (Commentator / CHAO Chi-Fang)

Artwork Introduction 

Qai~i is an expression in the Paiwan language for yearning and sighing. Qai~i – the Sigh of Memory illustrates the regrets and sorrows that lie between people. This annual production since 2014 is a romantic work about time and memory. The choreographer sought out new possibilities when taking on the challenges of combining the bodies and voices of the performers in this work. As if on a journey through time and space, the performers and audience travel along together through their memories. “Bodiless but with voices”, the bodies of the performers are tinged with sadness for the time passed. The limited space in the theatre enhances the intimacy between the performers and audience. We can hear the ancient melodies from the singing bodies recalling the regrets and sorrows of yesterday.

The heritage of indigenous music and dance is excavated from the deep, purified, distilled, and then kneaded into a related theme that is full of struggle – thus we arrive at Qai~i—The Sigh of Memory, arguably the most exciting work of indigenous theatre in recent years. The magnitude of sound and fury in this dance work is disproportionate to its modest scale. The physical and aural expressions of the dancers are both pristine and intense, dissolving the discrepancy between the over-sophistication of professional theater performers and the self-consciousness of amateur indigenous performers. At last, we can rest assured that traditional indigenous music and dance will flourish on the professional stage, and give our applause. 

About the Artist

Tjimur Dance Theatre is the first modern dance company that centers on the Paiwan culture in Taiwan. Founded in 2006, with LAIO Yi-hsin(or Ljuzem Madiljin) as its artistic director and Baru Madiljin as the dance director, Tjimur Dance Theatre hopes to create “the contemporary body aesthetics of the indigenous Paiwan tribe.” They draw inspiration from the form of ensemble in the traditional Paiwan song and dance, and transform it into the bodily language of modern dance, creating dances out of songs and composing music with dances, and by doing so, enriching the potentiality of the dancer’s body and performance on stage.