Page 31 - Hualien Sustainable Living Bilingual Magazine

The 2022 National High School Games hosted by Hualien County opened with the performance “Over Mountains and Sea, Night in Hualien”. Three pairs of male and female dancers, representing the mountain, ocean, and sky, took the stage. Their performance followed the coming-of-age rituals passed down by Hualien's indigenous culture, and adhered to and recreated sporting events in line with the Olympian spirit, re-evaluating“what bodily notions are derived from local sports in Hualien” and“what notions of the body created Taiwan’s indigenous body culture?”These are the ideas behind the opening performance presented to the audience. There are six major indigenous groups in Hualien County, said director Billy Chang.“For indigenous peoples, the coming-of-age ceremony is the time to prove to your people that you can overcome challenges. Therefore, Art Director Lee Hsiao-ping and I turned the sporting competition into a kind of coming-of-age ceremony.”The narrative of the performance interweaves the threads of contemporary and traditional elements into a storytelling tapestry. 26 Photo Source / Billy Chang Photography / HOW CHAN Photography Hualien Issue