Origin

These events seek to introduce the humanity and artistic sense to communities through exchanges of music and culture from different countries. Annual events are the only Blues Bash in Taiwan, Samba drum competition, and Hindu Cultural Festival.

Blues Bash

        According to the Foundation of Dream Community, a great number of musical works that surprise listeners at the very beginning probably are composed with elements from the bottom of social structure. Blues is one of them. The root of Blues is musical pieces from African-American slaves’ suppressed, vicissitude, and melancholy lives in early times.

In the famous Taiwan local movie “Cape No.7”, there are a group of musicians devoted their leisure time in music in Pintung Township. In Taipei City, there is also a group of musicians thriving for music. 80% of them are from foreign countries.They set up “The Blues society on Taiwan Presents”, held Blues Bash by inviting Blues musicians, and are keen to introduce Blues to Taiwanese.

During Blues Bash, you can see blues performers from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and local blues bands all gathering together for the music feast in the Dream Community, Shizhi. Performers played Chicago, New Orleans, Texas, Rhythm, and country blues in a non-stop path. It doesn’t simply satisfied Blues lovers’ craving, but also makes Blues famous in Taiwan.

India Festival in Taiwan 

Srjan Oddissi Dance group was invited to Taiwan by Taipei Economic and Cultural Office and Indian Council for Cultural Relations. It was lead by guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s son and disciple Guruj Ratikant Mohapatra. The group stayed in Dream Community and participated in a series of Indian Festival events, including dances, dramas, marches, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and a Bollywood party.

Oddissi Dance is well-known for its elegant and difficult choreography, which has the tradition of dance of temple. Consisting the manipulation of three parts, head, waist, and hips, the pretty s shape has required the highest control of bodies. The most loved performance is adopted from the psalm of God Krishna and the shepherdess. Guruj Ratikant Mohapatra has composed a whole new choreography for Taiwanese audiences. The performance is an art combination of religion, psalm, music and dance. We can claim that Oddissi Dance is one of the living fossil among the intangible cultural heritage.

Oddissi Dance, like other classical dances in India, consists of two aspects. One is Nritta, the pure dance, or non-representative dance. It requires body movements of high complexity. The other is Abhinaya, also known as specific personalized expression. It is a soft dance to interpret topics of stories with symbolic hand gestures and facial expressions.

Resources from: The DCEF