REVIEWS

REVIEWS

2021

"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 'ai~sa sa's vibrant world of humour and pathos."

-Edinburghguide/ Garry Platt

"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

"Ai~sa~sa meaning ‘Get over yourself’ is brilliant. 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

"It would be fabulous to think we might have the company back in the UK when circumstances allow and, who knows, perhaps the full version of Ai~Sa sa. Fingers crossed."

-SeeingDance/ David Mead

2020

“All the melodies used in “Go Paiwan!” are ancient Paiwan melodies. However, they were not selected based on any text. WenChung wanted to fill the dance with “the flow of sound waves”, thus he created the dance with just the bodies and the sounds. Perhaps this is what he meant by “de- symbolization”.”

- Hui-Ling Chi/ Performance Art Reviews

“Besides being a watchable, danceable, followable, and participatable piece, “Go Paiwan!” is also a response to the audience-performer relationship through the process of enjoying a dance performance and a body space for contemporary indigenous creation.”

- Chih-Hsiang Yang/ Performance Art Reviews

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

2018

“In both the music and humpbacked dancers pacing back and forth, it felt like watching the dance work of ‘TAO Dance Theater’, with the freedom of relieving from the traditions. Baru’s work is very much like Akram Khan’s. They both use traditions as a foundation. Yet, Baru’s work is more naughty and mischievous.”

- ARTalks / Ping Chiung Nan

“The styles of contemporary dance and traditional ceremonies are integrated in this dance work. There is a kind of contradiction between being depressed and being hopeful about the future life which can be found in the religion, marriages, human body outlines, interactions between a male and a female, the nature, and the mysterious.”

- Art Plus (publisher: ArtMap) / Pei-Yu Chen

2017

“In the tipsy state while stepping left and right, the dancers led the audience to peek at the haze of worry locked deep inside. However, this work did not reveal any specific plot or secret buried deep inside. Instead, it created a twilight zone between reality and fantasy.”

- Vivian HSU / Performing Arts Review

“More spine and shoulder blade movements were used to create horizontal gurgling motions, extending to the shoulders, arms, wrists, and palms. Through vibrations, drawing circles, and motions, the theme of handicrafts woven using shell ginger was cleverly caught. In the ancient chanting and silent ravings, there was a layer hidden below of strong emotions being taken out.”

- Yu Cheng WANG / Performing Arts Review

“The traditional style can still be seen in the choreography, with movements such as hands holding together, stable and low steps, transition from individuals to groups, and split of groups into individuals. In fact, the four people holding hands represents a complete cycle, showing that they are interwoven and willing to open their hearts to each other.”

- Yu Xuan XIE / Performing Arts Review

2016

“Though they went to study dance in universities in cities for a period of time, their simple and implicit qualities remain uncontaminated. Their steady and strong movement leads us back to a solid state of life from this adrift and scattered world, connects us with the earth in both physical and spiritual perspectives. ‘As Four Step’ takes audiences through a tunnel to a place which is supposed to be raw and lively but is now mottled and pale.”

-ArtMap / Xu,Wei-Ying

“‘As Four Step’, based on Paiwanese dance steps and demonstrated with concise theatre design, depicts choreographer’s mental state. 4 dancers reconstruct a couple of physical symbols, which leads out choreographer’s body languages of life experience. As Four Step, with simplicity and purity, expresses choreographer’s state of mind and has been one of fine productions over the last few years.”

-Art Critics of Ministry of Culture

“By creating new languages of modern dance, the audience can still intensely sense the nurture of mother culture. Minimalism in theatre design bringing up contemporary interpretation, boldness and impact represented by dancers, and the images in vogue form Tjimur’s unique aesthetics successfully.”

- Art Critics of Ministry of Culture

“Purified body movements which combine with rhythm and group-form transition go smoothly and unhindered. The performance imprints tradition on the audience implicitly and represents its unique characteristics. What a well-structured performance, full of energy, performed by professional dancers! .”

- Art Critics of Ministry of Culture

2015

“Steady breath with consistent rhythm, movements as kaleidoscope’s myriads of changes, rich visual effects without dazzle --- all elements form the pure, clear but vivid imagery based on the simplicity of theatre design. As Four Step is earnest and has a rich cultural heritage. It can intrigue the audience’s common sensation in the contemporary society, lingering deeply and profoundly.”

- Artplus HK, Art Map / Luo, Feng

“Originating from the concept of Paiwanese dance steps, As Four Step, the production of Tjimur Dance Theatre, simply communicates with audience through body movement. As Four Step is the homonym of Paiwanese traditional dance, which can only be seen in Paiwan’s important festival. Deconstructing and recomposing dance steps by choreographer Baru Madiljin and dancers, combining western dance training and Paiwanese movement with contemporary theatre’s light and space design. The work transforms tradition into modern dance for Paiwanese youths of the present age.”

- Performing Arts Review / Wu, Meng-Xuan

“As Four Step, choreographed by Baru Madiljin, is homonym of Paiwan’s dance. The dance steps (step left forward beside left, step right forward beside right, step left back beside left, step right back beside right) are commonly seen in Paiwanese festival, transforming into modern form with shifting physical movements. And most incredibly, the harmonic breath and rhythm among 4 dancers, originating from lives of vitality and strength, is not only the coordination of tempo, rhythm, movement, and emotion. For an exactly speaking, three men and one woman in one spirit express their feelings in modern dance regarding the scene, the sense, and the observation of tribal lives.”

- Taishin Arts Award Nominator / Chang, Xiao-Hong

2014

The heritage of indigenous music and dance is excavated from the deep, purified, distilled, and then kneaded into a related theme that is full of struggle – thus we arrive at Qai~i—The Sigh of Memory, arguably the most exciting work of indigenous theatre in recent years. The magnitude of sound and fury in this dance work is disproportionate to its modest scale. The physical and aural expressions of the dancers are both pristine and intense, dissolving the discrepancy between the over-sophistication of professional theater performers and the self-consciousness of amateur indigenous performers. At last, we can rest assured that traditional indigenous music and dance will flourish on the professional stage, and give our applause.

- Reason for Nomination, the 13th Taishin Arts Award / Fang-chi Zhou

2013

It enjoyable and refreshing to see Tjimur’s new interpretation of traditional Paiwan dance in Umaq. The choreographer has simulated the essence of traditional Paiwan dance in modern form. The simulation of Umaq becomes a mirror for the audience to project their own imagination of traditional Paiwan culture. It provides clues for audience to bring alive their imagination and memories of Paiwan culture.

- Performing Arts Review / Yu-shih Lin