‘The characters in my choreography are a mix of many people’s experiences and thoughts.’ treatment and bullying does not seem
and return to my home town in Pingtung.
quite so wrong in our society.
Taipei, in the north of Taiwan, has the majority of resources and performance
Help and support is more readily
opportunities. It is also where most of the
available to the physically disabled but
experience and contacts I would need
this is because they are often more
to become well-known in dance. In the
’visible.’ Mental disorders, on the other
south of Taiwan, there are much fewer
hand, are frequently invisible and a
resources for dance as an art form. And
taboo subject to discuss even within the
so, I stopped dancing.
family context. Because of this, it is often not recognised until much too late. The
The setback was a shock. As my dream of
government health care system needs
achieving a high level of training in dance
to be much more vigilant about the
was gone, my life became disordered.
early stages of mental disorders. Early
Furthermore, to the rest of the world
diagnosis and treatment would prevent
around me, I am a disabled person. People
many tragic suicides and murders.
looked at me differently. A shadow grew inside me and I began to wonder, how
The choreographer’s situation in
was I going to continue with my life as
relationship of the work’s content.
a disabled person? Fortunately, and by
At the age of 18, I lost the vision in my
chance, I met a teacher who taught me
right eye due to an illness, and therefore,
as a child. Mrs. Huang encouraged and
my dream of being a professional dancer.
helped me return to the dance world
I had to leave my dance training in Taipei
where I started to choreograph.
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