2022 Festival Press Release

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The "2022 Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Festival" organized by the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society will be staged at the šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza), Vancouver Playhouse, and ANNEX between July 1 and 3.  

The festival invites 16 performing groups from Taiwan and Canada to present the two countries' most rich multicultural performing arts. Free admission for all ages to enjoy the professional music and dances at the outdoor "TD Performing Arts Stage." 

The indoor concerts feature Crossbridge Strings, Ali Razmi Persian Jazz Ensemble and Lara Wong Trio. 

For ticket information, please visit

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/2022-taiwanese-canadian-cultural-festival-377569

There are many other things for people to explore at the festival. "Taiwan Cinema under the Star", "Artist Gallery Exhibition", "Taiwanese Food", "Free Clinic Zone", and "Photo Booth", and activities such as balloon twisting and prize wheel are expected to be popular. Come with your family and friends to experience the unforgettable cultural and artistic festival this summer! 

The Festival Music Director - Lan Tung

Lan Tung The music director, Lan Tung, who lead the Sounds Global Ensemble to perform the Taiwan aboriginal song [Dance of the Amis] during the opening ceremony.  

Lan Tung also lead the Crossbridge Strings Ensemble to perform their first concert at the Vancouver Playhouse on July 2, and will collaborate with Taiwanese visual artist Li Tung, and two dancers Billy Chang and Tara C. Pandeya to perform together. 

Lan Tung's music often experiments with contradictions by fusing materials from different traditions and genres, such as the sense of breath/space from Chinese music, the rhythmic intricacy from Indian influence, the precision in contemporary compositions, the space for interpretation with graphic notations, as well as melodic or textural improvisation.   

Visiting Performers from Taiwan and US 

Billy Chang (Taiwan) 

Billy Chang (Taiwan), a former protagonist dancer of Cirque du Soleil who returned to his hometown in 2012, said that he should use his body and dance to write about the beautiful land of Taiwan. After returning to Taiwan, various performance invitations continued, and he also took the initiative to participate in several choreography planning.  

Tara Catherine Pandeya (US) 

Tara C. Pandeya (US) was a dancer of "Cirque du Soleil".  She is also an experienced Performer, Choreographer, Speaker, Independent Dance Scholar, and Educator with 20 years of experience working in cross-cultural dance settings across 5 continents in over 35 countries.  Active in the West Coast of the United States, she is committed to promoting Central Asian dance, and often performs in collaboration with Abbos, a Uzbek tambourine master in the United States.  

Wu Gi Troupe (Taiwan)

Wu Gi Troupe was established in 2017, with the mandate of "Integrating the performing art of various domains with traditional Taiwanese culture and sparking the fresh flame in art. The troupe was formed with twelve actors of diverse expertise to sublimate various spheres and styles of performing arts.   

Featured artists at the Artist Gallery Exhibition 

Mike Alexander 

Mike Alexander is an emerging Anishinaabe visual artist and writer originally from Swan Lake First Nation in Treaty #1 Territory, currently residing on the traditional and unceded lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc. Mike identifies very strongly with his Ojibwe roots as a student of the Woodlands School of Art. He celebrates his ongoing transformation and reclamation of culture using art as a process of decolonization and cultural revitalization.   

Li  Tung  

Li Tung was born in Taipei.  An artist crossing many genres, Li Tung is good at different artworks, including painting, installation arts, photography, calligraphy, performing and action arts, contact improvisation, writing, stage design, and game and multimedia design. Li’s recent paintings reflect his unique and thorough understanding of Surrealism and Pan-Asian art. Li creates dialogues with his artworks, and each piece tells a story and communicates with one another. 

List of Canadian Performers:  

Sounds Global Ensemble  

Crossbridge Strings 

Norine Braun Band  

V’ni Dansi 

Lara Wong Trio  

Tsatsu Stalqayu 

RazzMaJazz  

Sons of Granville 

Zimbamoto 

Uzume Taiko 

Ali Razmi Persian Jazz Ensemble 

Vancouver Pops Orchestra & Choir 

Chronicles of False Creek Brazilian Swag