INTERNATIONAL REVIEWS
2021
"Visually Ai-sa sa is an engaging video and dance piece with scenes being shot in the studio and out on location. The costumes and setting are rich and vibrant and make a quick impact. There is a pace and speed which quickly gathers the audience up and pulls them into this vibrant world of humour and pathos."
-Edinburghguide/ Garry Platt
-Edinburghguide/ Garry Platt
"With a rapid, but not rushed, pacing, Ai-sa sa brings its audience on a colourful journey through the mercurial moods and shifting relationships of the characters on screen, deftly portraying themes of impermanence, changeability, and equilibrium."
-Sitting on The Fourth Wall/ Saoirse Anton
-Sitting on The Fourth Wall/ Saoirse Anton
"Ai~sa~sa meaning ‘Get over yourself’ is brilliant. Choreographed by Baru Madiljin of the Tjimur Dance company, it is sizzling with energy, wit and originality, both hilarious and poignant. This is a must-see show filmed in village settings, on stage dance and studio comic inserts."
-BroadwayBaby/ Stephanie Green
-BroadwayBaby/ Stephanie Green
2020
2019
"Passion, pure joy, and raw emotion emanate from the stage in the company’s aptly titled Varhung—Heart to Heart. Through driving movement that grows out of the haunting songs, the dance work builds to a physically pummeling climax. By turns uplifting and devastating, it made for an inspiring end to the Vancouver International Dance Festival."
- Janet Smith Georgia Straight
- Janet Smith Georgia Straight
2018
"A Bouquet of Magnificently Beautiful “Heaven Flowers” Presented by Tjimur Dance Theatre."
- Le Figaro / Ariane
- Le Figaro / Ariane
“Its gentle but strong energy is appealing, and I feel a window has been opened to invite me to look in on a culture I know very little about.”
- Total Theatre / Dorothy Max Prior (Nomination for Total Theatre Award-Dance Category)
- Total Theatre / Dorothy Max Prior (Nomination for Total Theatre Award-Dance Category)
“Varhung- Heart to Heart will touch your heart. A mesmerizing experience of exquisitely melded indigenous and contemporary dance.”
- The Broadway Baby / Stephanie Green ★★★★★
- The Broadway Baby / Stephanie Green ★★★★★
“It has a mesmerising quality that borders on hypnotic. Tjimur Dance Theatre uses contemporary choreography to focus on the traditions and cultures of Taiwan’s indigenous people.”
- The Scotsman / Kelly Apter ★★★★
- The Scotsman / Kelly Apter ★★★★
"It’s mesmerizing. This is fine work, fine dance, fine visual storytelling. Highly Recommended!"
- Fringe Review / Jo Tomalin 【Highly Recommonded】
- Fringe Review / Jo Tomalin 【Highly Recommonded】
“Varhung - Heart to Heart is dance that means something vital to its own culture, and also something rather special to us.”
- The Herald / Mary Brennan ★★★★
- The Herald / Mary Brennan ★★★★
“Varhung- Heart to Heart will touch your heart. A mesmerizing experience of exquisitely melded indigenous and contemporary dance, it is choreographed by Baru Madiljin of Tjimur Dance Theatre, whose explicit aim is to preserve and transform the Taiwanese minority Paiwan people’s culture into an expressive body language for today.”
- Taiwan Today
- Taiwan Today
“The songs are beautiful and haunting and the three dancers give a virtuoso performance in what may be one of the most unique physical and aural performances at the Fringe this year.”
- The wee Review / Max Scratchmann ★★★★★
- The wee Review / Max Scratchmann ★★★★★
"Even more remarkable is the physical and emotional levels of the incredibly committed performers. For the full fifty minutes, Varhung is non-stop, the score following the power of the choreography as it becomes increasingly percussive."
- Seeing Dance / David Mead ★★★★
- Seeing Dance / David Mead ★★★★
"Shaking up the customs and usages, they invite one through their ballet, whether the As Four Step or Vahrung - heart to heart [this year], to a motionless journey out of time or space, a walk in the heart of their emotion, of their tradition. These are performances to enjoy, to live!"
- L’Oeil d’Olivier / Olivier Fregaville
- L’Oeil d’Olivier / Olivier Fregaville
”Vahrung - heart to heart”They used dance to express their innermost thoughts, which they couldn’t say. And they won the audience’s warm response, and the applause continued...
- Central News Agency, Yi-Hsuan, Tseng
- Central News Agency, Yi-Hsuan, Tseng
"The songs, the voices fuse together to form a wild and contagious ritual, a contemporary ceremony, issued from the depth of a little known culture."
- Geneviève-Charras / Geneviève-Charras
- Geneviève-Charras / Geneviève-Charras
"These young people also know how to dance "contemporary", and they prove it in a very beautiful finale both danced and sung."
- La Provence / Daniele Carraz
- La Provence / Daniele Carraz
"Above all harmony, beauty and delicacy, a festive choreography to illustrate the harvesting, it is not just any old expression, they respect the succession of the steps intoning the chants. A very aesthetic show not to be missed !"
- Théâtre passion / Anne Delaleu
- Théâtre passion / Anne Delaleu
"Heart to heart" is like "As Four Steps" as one ethnic Paiwan dance looks like another, and also does not look like it. It is a trip of an hour to the antipodes; above all do not deny yourself the pleasure! Cathartic..."
- Envrak / Jean Barak
- Envrak / Jean Barak
"The three dancers, are very different from each other, but with an impressive tonicity, rigor and harmony...These choreographies signed by Baru Madiljin pay homage to the culture of these aboriginal people from Taiwan."
- La revue du spectacle / Bruno Fougniès
- La revue du spectacle / Bruno Fougniès
"Anchored in the ground and driven by a godlike mystical force they draw the audience into the emotional whirl of their dance steps leading in crescendo to the exhaustion of body and senses."
- RMTnews International / Diane Vandermolina
- RMTnews International / Diane Vandermolina
"The wonderful ballet of the three Taiwanese dancers who revisit here the tradition of the Paiwan aboriginal community radiates the collision of “hearts” and the resulting permanent emotional flow. Intertwined body, voice and music reveal gracefully this continuous effervescence."
- I/O Gazette / Lola Salem
- I/O Gazette / Lola Salem
"The choreography has charm and vibrancy, the dancers are accomplished, and the result is a fascinating fusion of traditional inspiration and contemporary dance idiom."
- The Komisar Scoop / Komisar Scoop
- The Komisar Scoop / Komisar Scoop
2017
“This work not only inheritted the traditional etiquette and custom from the ancient times, but also continued the spirit of Martha Graham. The endless changes based on the abstract concepts led the audience into wonderland.”
- Le Figaro / Ariane Bavellier
- Le Figaro / Ariane Bavellier
“'As Four Step' deconstructed and reconstructed the traditional four-step dance of the Paiwan people, delivering the cultural codes of the Paiwan people through pure and full physical rhythm. This dance work was rhythmical. The music used covered electronic music and ancient tunes of the indigenous people. The audience was amazed by the power an depth of this work.”
- The Newtalk / He-Rong Chiu
- The Newtalk / He-Rong Chiu
“This is a successful and fascinating piece with a clear structure. It led everyone in the audience to an unknown universe and left them some unforgettable sensual experiences. Finally, with the recognition of the judges, it totally conquerred the audience, achieving a complete success.”
- The Provences Herald
- The Provences Herald
“This kind of traditional dance had to be completely deconstructed, reconstructed, and then combined in a smoother form. Visually, it completely blended into the modernity, creating the charming harmony. With the electronic music and the steady and powerful lighting effects, Baru Madiljin found a perfect balance between the ancient tradition and the modernity.”
- théâtres.com / Audrey Jean
- théâtres.com / Audrey Jean
“They lived in a tribe and learned to sing traditional songs. Their bodies caught a certain rhythm. And their limbs showed the audience the tribal views on the hills and by the rivers.”
- CNA News / Yi-Hsuan, Tseng
- CNA News / Yi-Hsuan, Tseng
“From the viewpoints of philosophy and aesthetics, the performance team ‘s work was based on the Paiwan culture. They did not aim to preserve and pass on hundreds of years of affections. Instead, they followed the trend and went beyond the tradition. This creation was a kind of integration. It was not out of reason, but passion. It was passion that fueled their energy and made this performance so beautiful.”
- théâtrorama / Henri Guette
- théâtrorama / Henri Guette
“The dance is like a singing voice, going right through you and taking over your physical body. It went in to the ancient soul which you didn’t even know about, like the trace left when humans went from the nature to a culture, like that source of life.”
- Envrak Webzine / Jean Barak
- Envrak Webzine / Jean Barak
2016
“’As Four Step’ captured a boundless and limitless world. There was sophisticated, delicate, and subtle imagery in all aspects, including lighting, sound effects, and dancers’ body languages.”
- Front page, ZOCALO SALTILLO, Mexico
- Front page, ZOCALO SALTILLO, Mexico
“‘As Four Step’ had drawn all the audience’s attention, as if stealing the whole evening of Saltillo, Mexico! Moreover, the dancer’s body languages were like movements of flying birds and swimming fish, so natural and lively. ‘As Four Step’ is definitely a high-quality work which can touch people’s heart.”
- Front page, EL DIARIO, Mexico
- Front page, EL DIARIO, Mexico
2015
“Gaze of the Kavaluan is "a raw protest against traditional society's mores”
- The Skinny / Stephanie Green & Mark Harding
- The Skinny / Stephanie Green & Mark Harding
“The clash of cultures is potently acknowledged in a highly theatrical production.”
- The Herald / Mary Brennan
- The Herald / Mary Brennan
“This is well thought out and well executed dance, short, direct and to the point: at times fraught, at times sexy and at times humorous.”
- TVBomb / Robert Dow
- TVBomb / Robert Dow
“Chastity and desire come into conflict in this contemporary interpretation of indigenous Paiwan dances.”
- Edfestmag / Elena Sorokina
- Edfestmag / Elena Sorokina
2014
“Deeply touching… The passion is palpable…, so much is communicated by the performers the language barrier seems invisible.”
- The Scotsman
- The Scotsman
“The choreography was strong, the dancers were brilliant and the musicians were outstanding.”
- Spiked
- Spiked
“The performance is so dreamily handsome”
-The List
-The List