Founded in 1989, Dance Forum Taipei has served as an open platform to connect choreographers and dancers. Its productions showcase diversity of dance and shape an unimaginable dancescape. Featuring Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki, the troupe will stage Dance Force with Team Shimazaki to present pieces of poetic beauty. See how they move their bodies like magical paint brushes and impress you with a kaleidoscope of movements. In the style of Jiří Kylián, Shimazaki’s choreography is known for close coordination of dance and music. His Taiwan debut was Run in 2017, followed by Grace in 2009, and Moving with Shimazaki in 2016.            

Zero Body

Ten female dancers exquisitely engrave a breathtaking group dance, showing the feminine beauty and strength. “Simple, but a delicate and fascinating work. It seems to give a clear lens, so that the dancer’s quality and subjectivity, which are often hidden under the flamboyant theater technique, are unobstructed under this lens. ” (Performing Arts Review, NCAF)

South

Inspired by Taiwan indigenous songs and dances from the ritual while visiting Taiwan in 2015, Shimazaki created the piece to dedicate to the spirit of being together, using traditional songs and new creation from Taiwan indigenous people.

In the blink of an eye

13 dancers interact with strong and diverse music rhythm, revealing the inner and external relationship in our daily life.

PING Heng, Founder & Artistic Director

PING is the Founder and Artistic Director of Dance Forum Taipei (DFT) and Crown Theater. She holds a Master’s Degree in Dance from New York University. She founded DFT in 1989 and has continuously launched new dance and theatre productions ever since. She served as Chairperson of the Performing Arts Alliance, Artistic Director of National Chiang Kai-Shek Culture Center, Dean of Dance College of National Taipei University of the Arts, and was a board director of National Performing Arts Center and National Culture and Arts Foundation.

Toru Shimazaki, Choreographer

Toru Shimazaki’s career as choreographer began in 1989 when he was Director of the Ballet Department at the Sitter School of Dance in Canada in 1989. Shimazaki has collaborated with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Royal Flanders Ballet, Polish Dance Theatre, Colorado Ballet, Grand Theatre de Geneve, Introdans, etc. He was a member of the jury for Prix de Lausanne, a casting partner for Cirque du Soleil,  and currently Dean of School of Music and Chief Professor of Dance Department at the Kobe College, Japan.

Dance Forum Taipei 

Dance Forum Taipei is an iconic contemporary dance company in Taiwan. Through engaging with different choreographers, the Company acts as an open forum for artists to experiment their ideas. Led by PING Heng, Founder and Artistic Director, the Company presents performances of commissioned and re-constructed choreographies from artists of diverse styles, ranging from inventive abstract vignettes to fantastical full-length dance theatre works. DFT has staged approximately 1,000 performances since its inception in 1989, touring throughout Taiwan and 39 cities in Asia, Europe and North America. 

Creative team

Artistic Director / PING Heng

Choreography / Toru Shimazaki

Assistant Art Director / CHEN Kai-yi

Lighting Design / Channel HUANG

Costume Design / LIN Chin-ru

Rehearsal director / Chihiro Hattori, Ayame Tagashira

Performance / Dance Forum Taipei, Team Shimazaki All Star Dancers