Morakot Typhoon memory transformed into dance in "Ba Ba" performance

The dance production "Ba Ba," created by the Kaohsiung Contemporary Dance Company Qiu Shan Suo, uses physical rituals to examine the meaning of life, land, and existence in the wake of Typhoon Morakot, which devastated Kaohsiung's Jiaxian district in 2009. The performance blends contemporary dance, live electronic soundscapes, percussion, and large-scale stage installations.

Choreographer Lin Ting-hsu developed "Ba Ba" after conducting fieldwork in Jiaxian, reflecting on themes of life, loss, and existence. As Lin was not a direct survivor of the typhoon, the creation avoids directly recreating the disaster scene. Instead, it draws from participation in local rituals and an understanding of folk beliefs to explore emotional states when confronting death, loss, and memory through bodily expression.

The work incorporates the concept of "Ba Chao" (拔超) rituals from Taiwanese folk religion, translating their spiritual essence into dance vocabulary. Three dancers utilize dynamic physicality, sometimes appearing guided by unseen forces and other times contorted under immense pressure, to convey life's fragility and resilience in the face of impermanence. This is complemented by live percussion, electronic sound compositions, and atmospheric stage design, creating an immersive sensory experience that guides the audience through a ritual connecting land and memory.

"Ba Ba" will be performed at the Pier-2 Art Center's Zhenggang Black Box Theater in Kaohsiung on June 27 and 28. To encourage youth engagement with the arts, the production includes a "Youth Seat" program with transportation assistance and offers discounted tickets for audiences aged 13 to 22 using cultural vouchers, providing up to a 50% discount.