About the Show
Taking the history and culture of Taiwan as its starting point, the work traces memories of everyday life across different eras, exploring the ever-changing relationship between the land and its people. Shaped by encounters among different communities, regimes and cultures, Taiwan has developed a distinctive and diverse cultural identity. Through the language of circus, the production looks back at the journeys that have shaped the island and the lives lived upon it.
The performance begins with the elemental sound of the human voice, unfolding through a rich vocabulary of physical disciplines including flag performance, martial arts, dance, hand balancing, Cyr wheel, cube manipulation, diabolo and human pyramids. Symbolic objects such as crystal balls and lanterns evoke the island’s traditions of celebration and blessing. Iconic Taiwanese songs from different eras weave through the performance, bringing familiar melodies into dialogue with circus bodies and awakening memories shared across generations.
The production unfolds in four chapters—Seeing Taiwan, Giants of Taiwan, Turning Taiwan Around and Embracing Taiwan. Moving from an intimate encounter with the land and a reflection on its history towards a reimagining of Taiwan today, the performers flip, toss, balance and build upon one another, transforming the stage into a song for the island.