Formosa Viva (Paradise in Augustines) presented by NTNU GIPA, a Taiwanese institute for music and dance, is an exposition on 500 years of Taiwan’s history, using dance and illustrative slides.
The six dancers are all students at the Institute and are very accomplished dancers and physical performers. Dressed in differing white outfits, they perform as individuals and in groups, sliding in and out of the space almost unnoticed at times. The choreography allows each dancer their own spotlight performances, as well as very clever ensemble pieces. The slides on screen behind them illustrate the periods of history they are portraying, and each slide stays on the screen long enough to be discernible without distracting from the performance.
The use of the space is brilliant, even incorporating a pillar in the middle of the venue — part of the Best of the Festival Best — which I guess they may not have been aware of prior to coming to Edinburgh, though you wouldn’t think so from how well it is integrated.
The ‘programme’ is set in 10 parts, portraying eras from 1624 to the present day. It could be a difficult subject, given the complex historical context, but this production does not dwell on the politics. It does touch on themes of exploitation of indigenous peoples, gender issues and equality.
These themes in Formosa Viva sound serious — and so they are — but the freedom of expression and sheer physical skill and beauty of these young dancers is mesmerising. It’s the best form of education — present a big topic in an engaging way and your students will learn much more than they would from a dry textbook. But that aside, this is a seriously good physical theatre performance, not to be missed.
Ultimately this feels like a love song — or dance — to Taiwan. The accompanying music is incredibly well-chosen and the dance routines impeccable. Some of the dancing — and the subject matter it illustrates — is so moving I was brought near to tears. I could watch this all day long. It’s magical.
Oh, and Formosa Viva? Formosa was the former name of Taiwan, from the Portuguese for ‘beautiful island’. This wasn’t a deliberate tourism pitch, I don’t think, but it works on that level too.
