2024 New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Grant

Jazz (Dance) Quintet: A Musical Dialogue

2024 · 04 · 27  |  New Taipei City Government Arts Center Concert Hall

Sold Out
One week before opening
13+
Performers on stage
4
Jazz dance styles
First
Blues & swing in a formal hall
Jazz (Dance) Quintet: A Musical Dialogue poster (2024/04/27) New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department grant
Introduction

About the Program

2024 / 04 / 27 (Sat)   19:30–21:00
New Taipei City Government Arts Center Concert Hall

Welcome to a cross-disciplinary performance that blends music, dance, and micro-theatre. From script development to rehearsals, we built this work through challenges and collaboration—finally bringing blues and swing into a formal concert hall.

The production brings together jazz, social dances (Blues, Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa), and Taiwanese folk storytelling. Through improvisation and movement vocabulary, it paints a vivid and free jazz landscape.

Highlights

  • The first project to bring Taiwan's blues & swing music and dance into a formal concert hall.
  • Improvised dialogue × folk storytelling × social dance movement.
  • Musicians and dancers share the stage—lighting up both dance floor and concert hall at once.

Program Structure

  • Part I: Folk storytelling × Jazz (Dance) Quintet (Blues) / guided listening by musicians.
  • Part II: Folk storytelling × Jazz (Dance) Quintet (Lindy Hop / Charleston / Balboa).
Director's Note

A Note from the Director

As the night deepens, city lights flicker like stars across the sky.
In some unnamed corner, the curtain is about to rise on a stage built for chasing dreams.

I'm Chih-Yuan, the director, musician, and dancer behind this production. I'm glad these words have found you—because it means you've chosen to be part of our journey.

Honestly, this show began as an accident. I had always been a musician, occasionally collaborating with dancers. But one day, on a whim, I submitted a project proposal to the New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department.

I was nervous, weaving the social dances I'd been learning into a script, simply hoping for a chance to share what we'd created. I never imagined that this unassuming attempt would lead us somewhere so unexpected.

The application was approved. The grant breathed new life into the production—and with it came the responsibility to rise to the occasion.

From a handful of simple lines and narration to the seamless integration of music and movement, every step of the way was filled with challenges: writing the script, coordinating the cast, mapping the musical timeline… every detail holds a piece of us.

Thankfully, we had an extraordinary ensemble, gifted dance instructors, and the irreplaceable folk storytelling of Teacher Yang. Together, we overcame every obstacle and arrived at this moment.

The stage lights rise. The music swells. The dancers move. Standing in the wings, watching the audience, I felt something words can hardly hold.

This is more than a performance—it is a journey of seeking and dreaming. We doubted. We got lost. And in the end, we chose to keep going.

Thank you for being here with us along the way. Your presence is what keeps us moving forward.

To all of us still on the road, Chih-Yuan
Cast & Crew

Production Credits

Folk Storytelling

Yu-Chiao Yang

Musicians

Olivia Chuang (Vocals)
Claire Chen (Piano)
Shi-Yi Xue (Piano)
Yu-Lun Wei (Trumpet)
Ya-Chu Chuang (Drums)
Teng-Yang Li (Drums)
Sheng-Hang Zhong (Bass)
Chih-Yuan Chen (Clarinet / Saxophone)

Dancers

Penny Chen (Blues / Balboa)
Lucas Lin (Blues / Balboa)
Chris Sun (Lindy Hop / Charleston)
Viva Lin (Blues / Lindy Hop)
Ya-Juan Huang (Lindy Hop / Charleston)

Production Team

Director: Chih-Yuan Chen
African Drum: Chris
Lighting / Sound: Ling-Yin Huang
Video / Photo: Scott, Chun-Hsiung Wu
Front Desk / Tickets: Yan-Ru Chen
Stage Manager: Zhi-Jia Liang

Audience Voices

Audience Response & Post-Show Notes

Sold out a week before opening—and the feedback kept pouring in.
Every voice below, glowing or critical, is the fuel that keeps us going.

Video

Rehearsal & Behind the Scenes

National Taiwan University of Arts · Room 1001
Rehearsal Highlights
Booking & Inquiry

Book This Show

Interested in bringing Jazz (Dance) Quintet: A Musical Dialogue to your venue? We welcome inquiries from presenters, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Get in touch to discuss program specifications and collaboration.

micay.chen@gmail.com

Or reach out via Instagram / Facebook — Friday Quintet