Page 35 - Hualien Sustainable Living Bilingual Magazine

The performance combines a variety of dances, circus stunts, ancient ballads, and animation projections. Performers, ranging from age six to sixty-nine, create an immersive opening performance that integrates different ethnic groups. For Billy Chang, the biggest challenge was making sure that the voices of all six tribes could be heard, as well as handling the issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, the day of the performance was the first time every performer was present. However, such challenges serendipitously led to a touching moment. During the performance, each tribe was supposed to sing its traditional songs, but because of the pandemic, there was only one girl performing in the Bunun segment instead of the 5 boys and 1 girl as planned. “When it was time for the Bunun segment, everyone sang with the girl to finish the song together.” It was a touching show of unity across cultures and ethnicities. In addition to help from the art director Lee Hsiao-ping, the performance also included music by musician Blaire Ko, linen costumes designed by Cheng Hui-Chung, and visual effects designed by the animation team led by Ho Chia-Hong.“I want to convey the idea of the future carrying the past and present,”said Billy Chang, who designed a segment in which children drew plants of the future, which are turned into symbols and integrated with music and technology on the stage. Many local performance groups also took the stage, including the Qilai Mountain Art Troupe, the Mata Art Dance Troupe, local junior high school and elementary school teams, the Hualien Industrial Vocational Senior High School Band, the Hualien Elementary and Junior High School Pan Flute Team, the Sakizaya Lubas Mapalaway Putiput, and the hip hot dance troupe Aboriginal Unity. Billy Chang recalled,“The moms in the Qilai Mountain Art Troupe and Mata Art Dance Troupe were the most hard-working of all, always practicing their singing and dancing non-stop.”He wants everyone to enjoy the beauty of movement and performance.“I want to create a stage that shows off their authentic beauty. Indigenous performances don’t have to be just joyful. The more subtle joy that comes from contentment and peace is also a kind of beauty.”Such beauty honors all indigenous peoples. 30 Hualien Issue