Wu-Yue Taiwanese Opera Troupe: The Beauty of Taiwanese-Opera Tunes

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5 episodes in total. (Duration: 20 minutes per episode)

Taiwanese Opera, the only traditional performing art native to Taiwan, has evolved into its current image by absorbing a variety of performing elements. Featuring the full use of Taiwanese dialect, a great number of tunes as well as the acting narrations and movements, the Taiwanese Opera is strongly compatible compared with other Chinese traditional operas. 

Here, through the interview, Wu-Yue Taiwanese Opera Troupe will share with the audience some of the most popular fundamental melodies, including the four main traditional tunes and other folk ones. Meanwhile, in the end, Wu-Yue’s players will also demonstrate a short clip from Lending the Umbrella at West Lakeadapted by the troupe. Hopefully via the players’ vocal expression, the audience will get a glimpse at how the tunes, an indispensable element, serve their function in the performance of Taiwanese Opera.

  • Producer: Chiou Chaiu–Ling (The President of Wu-Yue Taiwanese Opera Troupe), Tung Shu-Ting
  • Staff: Wang Shiau-Wei, Wang Ching-Hsien, Shih Wei- Hsing, Chuang Chi-Feng, Kuo Shih-Yi, Tsai Chia-Fang, Hsieh Wu-Hsiung, Chien Sue-Kwan, Lo Ya-Ting

Wu-Yue Taiwanese Opera Troupe

“Echoing the sounds of logging in the mountains, we are singing and dancing. When getting tired, let’s drink till the cups are empty!” These phrases from The Book of Odes(Shijing) inspired us the characteristic of traditional Taiwanese opera and the sharing-spirit in our culture to name our troupe Wu-Yue(舞樂). “Wu” means dancing and acrobatics, and “Yue” means music. Both are essential elements in traditional Taiwanese opera. 

Wu-Yue Taiwanese Opera Troupe’s performance aims to express these elements from which each utterance makes music; and each movement resembles dancing and acrobatics. We expect our performance will bring the beauty of traditional Taiwanese to our audience and promote the appreciation of this special art.