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Taiwan Fun Magazine, November 2002

       "Just what kind of dancing is this?" many will ask while watching "Dancing with Oil" for the first time. Performed by Guang-huan Dance Troupe, "Dancing with Oil" is a variant form of modern dance that is fresh and creative and sparks the imagination.

Baby oil is the dance medium. Performing on a specially designed stage and covered with oil, dancers appear weightless on the slick surface. Not only do their movements give full expression to individual characters, but the pushing, pulling, sliding and gliding between the dancers project a fluid harmony that seems to create a return to the womb.

Since 1992, when the Guang-huan Dance Troupe first used oil to produce "Wondering On", "Dancing with Oil" has received public acclaim and has also become the troupe's trademark performance. The original inspiration came from choreographer and artistic director, Liu Shao-lu. To fully explore the essence of dance he borrows from the Eastern practices of Chi-gong, Tai Chi-chuan and Yoga. The Taoist philosophy of 'natural course', central to understanding the ideal of unifying 'Mind, Body, Spirit', further empowers his work. What might come as a surprise is that folk and traditional dance fueled the troupe's original style in the early days; the current form has evolved over the last 18 years.

Beginning in October, in their first collaboration with well-known composer Li Tai-hsiang, Guang-huan Dance Troupe will also present their latest piece, "Revolutions". It fuses together the five basic elements of the universe - wind, fire, water, earth, and air - in a performance that once again highlights the unique character of the Guang-huan Dance Troupe.

Performance Schedule: Oct. 25, 7:30 pm Taipei New Dance Studio (3 Song-shou Rd., Taipei City) Oct. 26, 7:30 pm Taipei New Dance Studio (3 Song-shou Rd., Taipei City) Nov. 15, 7:30 pm Hsin-chu Municipal Performing Arts Center (17, Section 2, Dong-da Rd., Hsin-chu city) Nov. 27, 7:30 pm Taichung Chong-shan Hall (98, Hsueh-shih Rd., Taichung City) For more information call the Guang-huan Dance Troupe at (02) 8972-0061