Uncovering Taiwan’s lost dances – Palamal: Fire Festival

Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Foundation & Neo-Classic Performing Arts Foundation
Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center, Taipei
April 3, 2024

Recent years have seen a significant increase in awareness of indigenous cultures in Taiwan. So long hidden or even actively suppressed, as in many other countries around the world, those cultures, including language and art, are now celebrated.

Initially led by its founder, the late Liu Feng-hsueh (劉鳳學), the Taiwan Indigenous Cultural Foundation (台灣原民文化志業基金會) is a leading organisation in uncovering what was thought lost. Liu also founded the Neo-classic Dance Company (新古典舞團), who are noted for melding old dances with contemporary elements. Liu’s work is now continued by the Neo-Classic Performing Arts Foundation (新古典表演藝術基金會) through its ‘Searching for Dancing Signs of the Fading Dance’ project, which has been seeking out lost traces of dances among tribes.

Palamal: Fire Festival (火祭-烙印) is a new work, a collaboration between the two foundations, that has its origins in the traditional Fire Festival and Ancestral Spirit Ritual of the Sakizaya tribe from Hualian County on the island’s east coast.

It is not and does not pretend to be an authentic recreation. Although the work never loses touch with its tribal roots, notably in its dancing and singing, it is rather is a creative interpretation of traditional culture, choreographed by Wei Kuang-ching (魏光慶; 古牧特•法拉), a co-participant in the research.

Palamal comes in an ‘overture’ and four concurrent acts. The result of considerable fieldwork, it pays tribute to ancestral spirits but, more than anything feels an affirmation, a celebration of the Sakizaya. In Act 4 especially, it’s impossible to escape the feeling that it’s often shouting loudly, ‘This is who we are’.

The opening sets the scene, Wei making particularly effective use of an illuminated bright red diabolo. As it is skilfully manipulated, it buzzes around like a firefly in the darkness. Simple red large pieces of fabric make surprisingly good representations of flames.

The dancing from the excellent cast of 32 ranges from lilting sequences, often in lines, the dancers holding hands as they weave around the stage, and circles, to more dramatic moments. There’s lots of swaying of the hips and swinging of the arms.

Act 1 shows the peaceful life of the tribe almost wiped out by war. The dance, which cleverly depicts only the tribesmen fighting and falling, never their aggressor, is a direct reference to the 1878 Takubuwa Incident, when Takubuan village was attacked by Qing troops, who burned down the thatch-roofed houses and killed the people. It almost wiped out the whole Sakizaya people, the survivors being dispersed and migrated to the neighbouring, larger, Amis tribe.

Given that under the subsequent Japanese colonisation from the turn of the 20th century, the Sakizaya were considered part of the Amis, it’s a wonder they survive today.’ But there was always a spark, and today, the tribe has full recognition, its population numbering around 1,000.

In what is always a colourful work, Act 2 turns to the five colours of the messengers: red, white, green, black and blue. Red represents flowers, which open the eyes of the soul to pass on wisdom. White light completes the legacy of the fighters. Green is bamboo, to cleanse and get rid of bad luck. Black is for invisibility, to keep evil spirits and bad luck at bay; and blue is to quench the thirst and to pray for the peace and well being of all.

Act 3 is the most overtly ritualistic. After a form of baptism, the people step in the footsteps of their ancestors as they send off the spirits. It’s here and in the subsequent Act 4 (‘Song of Rebirth’) that Palamal is at is most powerful. Earlier, there is some beautiful song from Lin Wei-fen (林維芬), including one especially plaintive number as she walks among the fallen fighters in Act 1, but now the ensemble sing as they dance. It’s a choir of voices that really is rather moving. It’s a hot iron that forges tribal strength and unity. It sweeps through the auditorium.

Besides the stage work, the research project has also resulted in the production of dance scores and other written records, and a documentary film discussing the issue of national identity. The work goes on.