The Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Festival (TCCF) will return this month to Vancouver and Burnaby. This time, it will feature three performing arts troupes from Taichung, Taiwan.
Shinyifang Taiwanese Opera Troupe, Jin Yu Yuan Glove Puppet Theatre, and Miao Hsuan Dance Group will all perform on two stages in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery) on Saturday (July 4), starting at 2 p.m., and on Sunday (July 5), starting at 1 p.m.
Shinyifang Taiwanese Opera Troupe engages in cultural preservation through traditional performances of Taiwanese opera.
“Guided by the mission of education and heritage, they use Taiwanese opera as a platform to adapt local folk stories into works that are educational, entertaining, literary, and artistic,” the festival website states. “Through innovative productions, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and international exchanges, the troupe continues to bring traditional art into contemporary life.”
Meanwhile, Jin Yu Yuan Puppet Theatre encourages audience participation in its traditional glove puppetry. This helps children and parents rediscover this traditional Taiwanese art form.
“In terms of stage presentation, the troupe breaks away from the conventional framework of glove puppetry by incorporating rotating stages, 3D black light theatre, elements of shadow puppetry, and projection mapping technologies, developing a distinctive cross-disciplinary puppetry style,” the festival website notes.
The third troupe, Miao Hsuan Dance Group, “balances rhythmic intensity with emotional depth, presenting a distinctive style that bridges tradition and innovation”, according to the festival. It has nurtured many young dancers over the years and has been repeatedly named an Outstanding Performing Arts Group of Taichung, which is Taiwan’s second-largest city.
Fest presents Taiwanese Canadian artists
Also in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, there will be a 6 p.m. Saturday performance by the Taiwanese Canadian Ensemble. It’s comprised of Samuel Tsui (violin), Calvin Yang (viola), Judy Lou (cello), I-Hsin Wu (violin), and Greg Samek (drums). That will be followed by Taiwanese Golden Melody at 8 p.m.
Then on Sunday, šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square will come alive to the sounds of the Vancouver Pops Choir at 11 a.m. and the Juno-nominated Orchid Ensemble at 3 p.m. on the Culture Stage. Orchid Ensemble features erhu star Lan Tung, zheng virtuoso Dailin Hsieh, and percussionist Jonathan Bernard.
Following these musical events, Mozaico Flamenco will be on the Culture Stage at 5 p.m., followed by the Portuguese folk dance group Rancho Folclórico Cruz de Cristo at 7 p.m.
Performers will also be in Burnaby
Several local musicians—in addition to the Taichung troupes—will perform on the Taiwan Stage. Vocalist Emily Yeh and multi-instrumentalist Emil Wu will perform at 3 p.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, the Taiwan Stage will be filled with the sounds of violinist Ross Ling and pianist Jasmine Huang at noon and string musician Amanda Hsueh and Mandopop singer-songwriter Sunmy (Gary Sun) at 4 p.m.
The Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society puts on the annual festival. This year, will include an interactive art mural and workshops on lamp making, face painting, and Taiwanese craft art. In addition, the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society will host an art gallery throughout the weekend in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square. Plus, there will be an interactive photo booth and free healthcare consultations.
Then, the following Saturday (July 11), the Taichung troupes will perform at the Bonsor Recreation Centre in Burnaby. They will share a stage with the Taiwanese Canadian Cello Quartet and Vancouver Formosan Singers. It makes sense, given that Burnaby has the largest population of Taiwanese Canadians of any municipality in Metro Vancouver.
For more information on the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Festival, visit the website.
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