FOKUS TAIWAN
"Fokus Taiwan," a series of dance performances by Taiwanese dance companies, was held from February 9 to 11, 2023, at the Darmstadt State Theatre (Staatstheater Darmstadt) in Germany. The event highlighted the refined and elegant artistry of Taiwan's contemporary dance.
The program featured six dance pieces, each reflecting the personal and social explorations of Taiwanese artists:
FreeSteps - NiNi ⾃由步．⼀盞燈的景⾝
by Horse Dance Theater 驫舞劇場
Beings 撇捺
by Shimmering Production 微光製造
Timeless
Rage 怒
by B.DANCE 丞舞製作
Voyage 旅程
a collaboration work by Europe-based dancers
Chen Guang-Xuan 陳廣軒 and Lu Mei-Yun 盧美云
en forme
by Sunny Yang 楊乃璇
and Les Petites Choses Production 小事製作
Deerland Tea has been invited to design and host three accompanying events alongside contemporary dance performances, offering a vibrant exploration of Taiwanese culture through diverse formats.
photo credit / Sinah Osner
en forme
Sunny Yang, the artistic director of Les Petites Choses Production, has extended a special invitation to tea sommelier Angie Chen from Deerland Tea to join the stage as a performer in her dance piece en forme.
En forme is a compelling exploration of the intricate relationships between individuals and the objects that surround them. It questions whether people consciously choose objects of personal significance or if these objects find their way into their lives to fill an unseen void.
As an accomplished tea sommelier, Angie Chen has passionately introduced and served Taiwanese tea in over 25 cities across Europe under diverse circumstances. Inspired by Angie’s deep connection with her craft, Sunny Yang observes the unique bond between Angie and her tea, drawing inspiration to weave this dynamic into the performance.
tea dance pairing
Five teas that ecos to Taiwan's history to pair with five dance pieces that reflect Taiwanese artists' personal and social explorations. These teas are served during breaks between dances, elevating the concept of the performance to another level by engaging the guests' senses of smell and taste.
01
Freesteps - NiNi
Taiwanese PiLuoChun green tea is brewed by scattering tea leaves onto the surface of water heated to 85°C then allowing it to be refrigerated.
As the least processed type of tea, green tea possesses abundant natural ingredients in their unoxidized forms, exhibiting lively fragrances and a structured mouthfeel. Resembling unfettered dance moves under a spotlight, tea leaves spiral down with capricious movements as they steep.
Taiwanese PiLoChun is known for its vigor and crispness, akin to a deft dancer executing adroit moves.
02
Beings
Roasted DongDing Oolong preheated with charcoal.
DongDing oolong tea is renowned for its complexity and dynamism. Flavorwise, it offers delicate notes of ripe fruit that culminate with a woody hint. In terms of mouthfeel, it initially presents a noticeable roughness that swiftly transforms into a smooth and mellow aftertaste. Before brewing, tea leaves are further developed by preheating them with charcoal through a sheet of paper. The resulting multidimensionality of the tea reflects the uncertainty of human essence characterized by Beings.
Similar to the way two dancers gauge and interact with each other, the relationship between tea and heated charcoal is intriguing. As a self-contained artwork, the flavor of tea can be further refined through additional layers of heat mediated by a paper sheet. Simultaneously, the process of charcoal burning to ashes is reminiscent of how individuals contribute to a relationship. Ultimately, while it remains unclear whether any participant is better off, one thing is certain: nothing remains unchanged.
03
Timeless
Roasted Pauchung Tea is served with a variety of fairness cups, available in different shapes and sizes.
Undergoing rigorous bruising, rolling, and roasting processes, roasted Pauchung tea leaves are anything but tender and fresh. Elegant, strong, bitter, and serene— a reminder of the challenges faced by women in earlier time periods.
In the 1870s, Pauchung tea production was the most crucial industry in northern Taiwan. Tens of thousands of women chose jobs over marriage, whether willingly or unwillingly, and experienced the bittersweetness of free love and economic independence. Skilled women could earn much more than their male counterparts, empowering them against the prevalent practice of arranged marriage. However, they were not free from harassment and had to navigate life in an unfamiliar big city.
After hours of roasting, the refreshing taste of Pauchung tea becomes heavier and more complex, while the flavor and quality of the tea become robust against various storage conditions. Serving the tea with various fairness cups ensures that the flavor in each drinking cup remains unadulterated. Just like the women in "Timeless," they share common traits but also possess their individualities.
05
Voyage
Jasmine Scented Pauchung Tea is brewed with 90°C hot water and then chilled.
Voyage is an intimate journey between two people. Carefully carried by their partner, a dancer maneuvers without ever stepping on the ground throughout the whole journey. The delicate balance between the two dancers resembles how a well-crafted scented tea should be.
Scented teas are not ordinary flavored teas or teas blended with floral aroma. Layered only with freshly harvested blossoms, dry tea leaves desiccate the petals, absorbing the floral fragrance. The desiccated petals will eventually be removed and not added to the teapot; however, the leaves will carry the exquisite floral aroma.
During the scenting process, the condition of the tea leaf and flower must be carefully monitored so that they both play active roles in the duet. Balancing the two is essential, as marginalizing either party will eventually undermine both. The process blurs the boundary between the self and the other: part of the individualities disappear as the two become a new homogeneous entity.
04
Rage
Light oxidized JinXuan Oolong from LuYe, roasted at high temperature, undergoes a 90-minute extraction at room temperature with Johnny Walker Black Label.
Crafted from tropical lowland JinXuan, this Oolong is renowned for its strength. Roasted at exceptionally high temperatures with Lichi charcoal, its robustness is further intensified. However, when immersed in lukewarm Scotch, the curled tea leaves stubbornly retain their corkscrewed shape even after prolonged infusion.
The warm, sugary flavor remains trapped within the twisted tea leaves, while the vanilla note in the liquor becomes indiscernible. Parallel to the smoke and peat in the Scotch, the tea leaves impart traces of intense aroma from Lichi charcoal, a heavy mouthfeel from the tropical lowland tea, and a hue of dark Madder red to the infusion.
Similar to how the strong tea and liquor imprison each other's flavor, society and individuals overshadow each other's virtues. As individuals act apathetically for self-preservation, the society constituted by detached individuals becomes hostile and selfish. While the societal atmosphere may be tense and unbalanced, let us raise our glasses alone and celebrate together.
tea art workshop
After nearly 50 years of development in Taiwan, "Dry Brewing 乾泡法" remains the most popular brewing method in the world of tea art.
This workshop aims to introduce participants to the method step by step, starting with the selection of appropriate tea ware, followed by learning and practicing the dry-brewing technique and culminating in a tea-tasting experience that exemplifies the essence of Taiwanese tea art. Throughout the workshop, participants not only gain practical skills but also explore the historical and cultural significance behind the emergence of dry brewing. They were guided in identifying and utilizing tools specific to dry brewing and twin-cup tasting, providing a comprehensive understanding of the process.
special
thanks to
As "Fokus Taiwan" is jointly organized by Staatstheater Darmstadt and Hessischen Staatsballetts, with support from Taiwan's Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Germany, we would like to extend our thanks not only to our guests but also to our hosts for this opportunity.
All on-site photo credits go to Sinah Osner.