ABOUT

Kuo-Hsin Chuang Pangcah Dance Theatre was founded in 2005 in Hualien, Taiwan. Surrounded by mountains, Hualien is a humble town where 90% of its residents are aborigines. Kuo-Shin Chuang, the director of the company, is of Amis origins.

Aware of the lack of resources in his hometown, Chuang started giving free dancing lessons for primary school children to help the younger generation find a sense of direction in their lives. As such, he founded the first dance company in Eastern Taiwan that demonstrates aboriginal dance and music culture through experimental theatre and contemporary dance. There are currently 12 members in the company; all had been under the tutelage of Chuang since young. They are accomplished in traditional dance and music and have been invited to perform at several international arts festival in the recent years.

Chuang’s works are inspired by his life experience. They are imaginative and analytical, at the same time creative and intense. His works include Craze for Ritual(2007), Takasago (2009), The Priest under the Sunset (2014), 038 (2016). The company develops its movements from traditional aboriginal dance in Taiwan. They have been experimenting with aboriginal dance and music in the last 12 years, seeking new possibilities for traditional dance in modern times. The result is a unique Asian expression of body movement that provides the audience a new perspective on aboriginal dance.