(Photo credit: Taipei Dance Circle)
Chinese Name: 劉紹爐
Born: 1949
Birthplace: Hsinchu County (Northern Taiwan)
Born in 1949 in Zhudong Township, Hsinchu County, Liou Shaw-lu grew up in a farming family. In 1968, he entered the Physical Education Department of National Taiwan Normal University and was enlightened by Taiwan’s dance pioneer Liu Feng-xue (劉鳳學) in the dance class, which laid the foundation for Liou’s pursuit of modern dance. In 1973, he joined the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (雲門舞集) as a founding member. In 1984, he co-founded the Taipei Dance Circle (光環舞集) with his wife, Yang Wan-rong (楊宛蓉), who is also a dancer.
Almost every piece created in the troupe
has Hakka elements. Traditional Hakka culture has songs but no dance, which
means that Hakka people in the old days did not dance. But the absence of Hakka
dance gave Liou a lot of creative space. Liou incorporated tea-picking or folk
songs opera into his dances, and then combined that with body language. For
instance, in tea picking, the dancers’ flexible finger gestures give the dance
Hakka characteristics.
In 1994, the first modern dance with
baby oil as a medium was published. The dance style was second to none in the
world of its kind and the troupe was invited to perform in countries around the
world. In the current dance art, the Hakka spirit is invisibly integrated into
the dances.
Liou had been engaged in dance choreography
for more than 20 years. He had repeatedly incorporated Hakka music and
literature into the compilation of dances, such as inspiration from Chung
Li-he’s novel “The Old Man Who Dug Stone.” In
2003, he choreographed a large-scale dance titled “Pingban (平板),” the same
name as a type of Hakka mountain songs, transforming the elements of Hakka
music and dance into the performance of modern dance. In 2005, “Man Shan Suo (滿山趖)” was published, which incorporates the Hakka three-role tea-picking
opera and farming scenes into the dance. It’s made in combination with the
contemporary composers Yen Chih-wen (顏志文) and Lin Sheng-xiang’s (林生祥) Hakka music, creating interdisciplinary Hakka art.
Liou believes that Hakkas are
artistically talented and have the sense of improvisation. They are also an
ethnic group that advocates freedom. Once they are oppressed, they will
migrate, and each migration will produce new possibilities. Therefore, novelty
is also the traditional spirit of Hakka people. Liou stressed that when tasting
the beauty of the works left by the ancestors, Hakka people should remember to foster
the creation for the next generation.
Liou had hoped that Taiwan will become
a world Hakka center one day. He believed that Hakkas have always had two
distinct characteristics. On the one hand, they have the spirit of freedom like
the Gypsies, and on the other hand, they have the diligent character of the
Jews. He was certain that if the Hakkas in Taiwan can actively engage in
international exchanges, Taiwan will be a stronghold of Hakka for the globe.
Liou had persisted
in the spirit of innovation, embraced ethnic sentiments with his international
reputation, and injected new life and contemporary significance into Hakka arts.
For his contributions, he was awarded the Hakka Contribution Award in 2007.