Lan Yu (‘Orchid Island’) is a 45 km2 high island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. It is a home to the Tao people, also known as Yami. They are Taiwanese aborigines who belong to the group of Austronesian peoples, and it is posited that 800 years ago they left the Batan Archipelago in the Philippines and arrived in Lan Yu. Of the current total population of 5,036, approximately 4,200 belong to the aboriginal Tao community, while the remaining 800 are mainly Han Chinese.
In the western part of Lan Yu located is Yayu Primary School. Apart from a typical school curriculum, the pupils are taught about the Yami ballad- and dance-based heritage to awaken their dormant aboriginal consciousness, pass the Yami traditions on to the youngest generation, make them commune with the surrounding nature and thus build their self-confidence. Such principles underlie the artistic activity of the FLYING FISH ensemble, which was founded in 2006.
The Festival audience will have an opportunity to see a programme entitled Ponso no Tao (the ‘Island of the People’). It will feature eleven ballad-like songs and dances revolving around a number of themes of great significance for the Yami, e.g. exhibition of male strength or female beauty displayed as hair resembling sea waves, celebration of a good catch of fish, a feast celebrating a harvest of millet, gratitude to the earth, attachment to the sea, construction of a new boat, praise of the island, a story of Lan Yu children leaving the home island for other places to survive, work in the field, damage suffered as a result of typhoon, parents missing their children who have moved to other towns to study or work.
Joice Chen is the ensemble leader, Yen Tzu-Yu is the choreographer and musical band leader. The Tao do not have any traditional instruments, but they use ordinary everyday objects as percussion instruments, e.g. mortars and pestles.
In the western part of Lan Yu located is Yayu Primary School. Apart from a typical school curriculum, the pupils are taught about the Yami ballad- and dance-based heritage to awaken their dormant aboriginal consciousness, pass the Yami traditions on to the youngest generation, make them commune with the surrounding nature and thus build their self-confidence. Such principles underlie the artistic activity of the FLYING FISH ensemble, which was founded in 2006.
The Festival audience will have an opportunity to see a programme entitled Ponso no Tao (the ‘Island of the People’). It will feature eleven ballad-like songs and dances revolving around a number of themes of great significance for the Yami, e.g. exhibition of male strength or female beauty displayed as hair resembling sea waves, celebration of a good catch of fish, a feast celebrating a harvest of millet, gratitude to the earth, attachment to the sea, construction of a new boat, praise of the island, a story of Lan Yu children leaving the home island for other places to survive, work in the field, damage suffered as a result of typhoon, parents missing their children who have moved to other towns to study or work.
Joice Chen is the ensemble leader, Yen Tzu-Yu is the choreographer and musical band leader. The Tao do not have any traditional instruments, but they use ordinary everyday objects as percussion instruments, e.g. mortars and pestles.