The TNUA School of Dance on September 4 and 5 presented “Green Table,” a ballet masterpiece created in 1932 by famous German dancer and choreographer Kurt Jooss – the first time that the Expressionistic work has ever been staged by a school in Asia.
Born out of a specific moment in European history, the work depicts the fears created by war, as well as politicians’ greed.
Funded by the Ministry of Education’s Excellence Program, and with arrangements by Jooss’s daughter, Ms. Anna Markard, the School of Dance invited famous choreographers Ms. Jeanette Vondersaar and Mr. Didier Merle as guest professors in charge of recreating the dance and conducting a one-month intensive rehearsal.
Mr. Jan Hofstra’s assistance was also sought for stagecraft and he worked with Professor Fang Kuo-Yien from the Department of Theatrical Design and Technology to create a professional setting for the performance.
In order to let the audiences better understand this dance, a talk was held after each of the performances. On September 4, German scholar Mr. Thomas Thorausch explained how Jooss created “Green Table,” and screened two filmed performances of the dance, one of them featuring the late German ballet dancer and choreographer, Ms. Pina Bausch. The audience was deeply touched by Ms. Bausch’s delicate and earnest portrayal of a dying woman.
Another session had Mr. Thorausch and Prof. Fang talk about the recreation of “Green Table” for the TNUA performance. Video footage of the recreation process – which serves as important records of the project – was also shown at the talk.
On September 5 TNUA also hosted a forum on European dance, inviting Prof. Marion Kant from the University of Pennsylvania, Prof. Kate Elswit from Yale University, and Prof. Pong Yu-shun, director of the Providence University Art Center in Taiwan to present their research and discuss “Green Table” and the development of dance theatre. It offered a good chance for exchange of ideas concerning dance theory and performance.
The TNUA School of Dance will stage “Green Table” again from December 16 to 19 to give more people the chance to enjoy the masterpiece. All are welcome.