Three distinguished contemporary dancers from the Asia Pacific area shared their experiences and views in a two-day forum and workshop series organized by TNUA on behalf of the Ministry of Culture (MOC) from November 22 to 23.

The three guest speakers at "Beyond Tradition: Finding New Voices in Old Spirits" were Lin Lee-chen from Taiwan, Pichet Klunchun from Thailand, and Ramli Ibrahim from Malaysia.

The event brought together almost 200 participants, including teachers, students, dancers and choreographers, from Australia, Singapore, China and Taiwan in discussions on the issues of individual creativity, cultural heritage, and identity.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Peggy Chou, director for the MOC's Department of Cultural Exchanges, thanked TNUA for its support for the event.

She said the MOC is looking to such major international events to inject momentum into Taiwan's art, and at the same time let the rest of the world witness Taiwan's vibrant culture.

In her talk, Ms. Lin, artistic director of Taiwan's famed Legend Lin Dance Theatre, said the body is a book of history and she also stressed the importance of tradition.

Mr. Klunchun, founder of the Pichet Klunchun Dance Company, said if one seeks to transcend tradition, one must first seek to have a better understanding of the tradition.

Mr. Ramli, founder of the Sutra Dance Theatre, noted that many people think modern and contemporary dance means the form of dance from Europe and the US, but it has to be assimilated into the local culture.

The three guest speakers also held a roundtable with Prof. Wang Yunyu, dean of the TNUA School of Dance, and some others from the same school, including: Prof. Ping Heng; Prof. Chen Ya-Ping, chairman of the Graduate Institute of Dance; and Prof. Lin Yatin.