Huang Li-Shung and Her Dance

In recent years, modern dance has developed quickly in the Republic of China. One of the foremost exponents among the crop of young choreographers which has sprung up in conjunction with the rapid growth is 28-year-old Huang Li-shung. Her first performance of the year on March 3 at Taipei's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall was greeted with unanimous acclaim by local critics, and the three thousand strong audience. After receiving her early dance training in Taiwan, Huang went on to advanced tuition in Austria and the U.S., and is now, teaching at the Tainan Junior College of Home Economics.

Her performance at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall started with a classical ballet which included seven of her pupils, followed by a modern piece entitled "The Love Story of the Torch," based on the love story of Zeus and Danae as handed down in Greek mythology. The use of stage lighting played an important role in this performance. Zeus was represented by an electric "torch" set on the stage, while Danae, played by Huang, wore a red ensemble, and her facial expressions ranged from joy to fear. The music, specially composed by contemporary Chinese musician Ma Shuei-lung, may have sounded a little strange to those used to traditional music. Following this abstract beginning came more familiar excerpts from "Swan Lake" and "Gypsy."

The next item however, was a modern ballet entitled "Incense Light" (traditional heritage), designed by Huang and with music composed by Li Tai-hsiang perhaps even more difficult to understand than in the "Love Story of the Torch". The lugubrious opening section was accompanied by slide projections of temples, gods parading the streets and Chinese funeral scenes. Two dancers, looking like lost spirits, entered the scene from the auditorium, giving the audience a feeling of involvement. Miss Huang explained that the oppressive mood represented the burden and restrictions of Chinese tradition which she felt in her work. In the second section, she was seen dancing just in tights. representing her escape from the "burden" by going abroad. Then suddenly, a rope fell from above to entwine her, representing the return of the restrictions of Chinese tradition. Even abroad, Chinese tradition followed her everywhere; she could not escape. The final scene, therefore, showed her dressed in the sackcloth associated with Chinese funerals, symbolizing the fact that she had accepted the inescapability of her traditions.

"After several years of wandering abroad, I came to realize that trying to escape my roots was useless. Chinese tradition is like an unbreakable rope around my body and spirit. The only way to deal with Chinese tradition is to accept it and live with it," she explained. She elaborated that although some traditional Chinese moral rules and social codes are out-of-date, modern Chinese should obey them. Huang tried to capture her progress from rebellion and escape to acceptance in her "Incense Light".

The last item in the program was the "Three-Dimensional Performance of Folk Dance and Song," with popular numbers presented in new and refreshing ways. After the two-hour performance ended, the audience gave Huang several encores for her exhilarating performance.