About
A musical performance that covers three generations, this is a story (and legend) of the musically and dance-gifted Romani who left North India and embarked on a wandering journey, with some settling in Andalusia in southern Spain. They absorbed Spanish culture while retaining their unique cultural perspective. Flamenco, rooted in grassroots traditions, speaks to the beauty and sorrow of ordinary people, with dancers like red flowers blooming with all their might in a tragic tale.
During wartime, Lian Ho’s father fled to Taiwan. He was born into a taro and sweet potato family and, at 19, saw her soul in Flamenco: a wild, untamed essence in each step and glance. Her brief time learning dance in Madrid was her happiest and most regretful period. Her daughter, Hsueh Yu-Hsien, also went to Madrid at 12, experiencing a tumultuous journey between Taiwan and Spain. In 2022, she became a permanent dancer at Ballet Nacional de España, continuing to tell her story and that of her island through her creations.
About Hsueh Yu-Hsien
Hsueh Yu-Hsien started learning dance from her mother when she was three. At the age of twelve, she was the first trainee of Chinese descent to enter the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma to study Spanish classical dance. Yu-Hsien once represented the school in a solo dance competition and reached the finals, receiving the affirmation and recognition of local Spanish dancers. In 2014, she graduated as the top student from the Dept. of Spanish Classical Dance.
In 2016, Yu-Hsien returned to her hometown to share with children in Taiwan what she’d learned and cultivated in Spain. Yu-Hsien became Genio Dance’s director in 2018, and she started to serve as a dance teacher at Kaohsiung Municipal Taoyuan Junior High School and the artist-in-residence at Nan’ao Wuta Elementary School. From dancing in the city to dancing in the mountains, Yu-Hsien brought art resources and arts education to rural villages, providing the opportunity to learn professional dance. In addition, Yu-Hsien is a member of Ballet Nacional de España and established a dancer training class in Genio Dance, drawing from the professional lessons of her alma mater to teach Taiwanese children, building blueprints of aspiration for young Taiwanese dancers.
About Genio Dance Group
Genio Dance was founded by Lian Ho in 2000 to choreograph Flamenco de Formosa, a flamenco dance of the Taiwanese. The company cultivates flamenco dance and creativity despite its non-mainstream status in Taiwanese performance arts. Their choreography blends ballet, contemporary dance, flamenco, and the music of the local Taiwanese. Their philosophy is an ongoing pondering of how to combine Taiwanese and Spanish cultures, merged with the endless inspiration of flamenco to create an original dance that transcends borders. The company is also invested in professional training for Spanish dance, breaking through the superficial impression of flamenco dance. Dancers also learn jazz, contemporary and ballet alongside flamenco, channelling vivid expressions of the body and mind to the audience, presenting the exhilarating breath of freedom to people everywhere who love art and life.
As Genio Dance’s director, Lian Ho works year-round on performance art and humanities. From performing in a theatre to every corner to be found, she regards the sky and the land as a stage. Lian Ho has devoted herself to artistic care and art education in the long term since 2009.
Since Typhoon Morakot, Genio Dance has been a beacon of hope, traveling from the mountain to the sea, through remote areas and devastated places. The dance company’s visits to Indigenous tribes and rural villages and their use of dance to bring courage and healing from the trauma of natural disasters have been genuinely inspiring. Their work has not only encouraged children to chase their dreams but also brought performance art into these villages, uplifting the spirits of the residents. In addition to these efforts, Lian Ho also launched the Taiwan Veteran’s House Touring Show Project. Every year, they dance through sixteen veterans’ houses in Taiwan, paying respect to the former soldiers by dancing and embracing them with warmness and care.
Venue
Fleck Dance Theatre in Queen’s Quay Terminal
A traditional proscenium theatre with fixed raked seating on two levels.
207 Queens Quay West, 3rd Floor
Follow signs and take escalator or elevator