Izabella Labedzka – författare

This book explores the most unique contemporary forms of Taiwanese dance theatre and the theatre of movement created by renowned choreographers whose productions are committed to the Eastern body aesthetics (dongfang shentiguan). By examining the shared backgrounds of the creators of these forms of contemporary dance theatre, the book reveals how native traditions have inspired the formation of these contemporary dances, whether from the Taiwanese islands, mainland China or other Asian countries, to create innovative performances simultaneously inspired to some extent by Western dance theatre. In doing so, the book reveals how Taiwan's rapidly modernising and increasingly technologically advanced society has made such a radical turn towards the Eastern traditions of corporeality. Ultimately, it highlights the significance of contemplative art in the over-aesthetised reality of our time and how dance serves as a vehicle for the transformation and renewal of human beings in a technocratic and technology-driven world.Featuring first-hand findings from fieldwork with dance innovators and dance schools in Taiwan, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Taiwanese culture, theatre and dance as well as performance studies.

This book explores the most unique contemporary forms of Taiwanese dance theatre and the theatre of movement created by renowned choreographers whose productions are committed to the Eastern body aesthetics (dongfang shentiguan). By examining the shared backgrounds of the creators of these forms of contemporary dance theatre, the book reveals how native traditions have inspired the formation of these contemporary dances, whether from the Taiwanese islands, mainland China or other Asian countries, to create innovative performances simultaneously inspired to some extent by Western dance theatre. In doing so, the book reveals how Taiwan's rapidly modernising and increasingly technologically advanced society has made such a radical turn towards the Eastern traditions of corporeality. Ultimately, it highlights the significance of contemplative art in the over-aesthetised reality of our time and how dance serves as a vehicle for the transformation and renewal of human beings in a technocratic and technology-driven world.Featuring first-hand findings from fieldwork with dance innovators and dance schools in Taiwan, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Taiwanese culture, theatre and dance as well as performance studies.

This book explores the most unique contemporary forms of Taiwanese dance theatre and the theatre of movement created by renowned choreographers whose productions are committed to the Eastern body aesthetics (dongfang shentiguan). By examining the shared backgrounds of the creators of these forms of contemporary dance theatre, the book reveals how native traditions have inspired the formation of these contemporary dances, whether from the Taiwanese islands, mainland China or other Asian countries, to create innovative performances simultaneously inspired to some extent by Western dance theatre. In doing so, the book reveals how Taiwan’s rapidly modernising and increasingly technologically advanced society has made such a radical turn towards the Eastern traditions of corporeality. Ultimately, it highlights the significance of contemplative art in the over-aesthetised reality of our time and how dance serves as a vehicle for the transformation and renewal of human beings in a technocratic and technology-driven world.Featuring first-hand findings from fieldwork with dance innovators and dance schools in Taiwan, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Taiwanese culture, theatre and dance as well as performance studies.

This book argues that Gao Xingjian's Idea of Theatre can only be explained by his broad knowledge and use of various Chinese and Western theatrical, literary, artistic and philosophical traditions. The author aims to show how Gao's theories of the theatre of anti-illusion, theatre of conscious convention, of the "poor theatre" and total theatre, of the neutral actor and the actor - jester - storyteller are derived from the Far Eastern tradition, and to what extent they have been inspired by 20th century Euro-American reformers of theatre such as Antonin Artaud, Bertolt Brecht, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Jerzy Grotowski and Tadeusz Kantor. Although Gao' s plays and theatre form the major subject, this volume also pays ample attention to his painting and passion for music as sources of his dramaturgical strategies.