Spotlight Program: Hana Springer

In Spring 2017 the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, in conjunction with the Department of Theatre and Dance at the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a grant from the R.O.C. (Taiwan) Ministry of Culture for a “Spotlight Taiwan Program.” The purpose of this program is to introduce different aspects of traditional and contemporary culture in Taiwan to GW students as well as the general public.

Ten Days in Taipei by Hana Springer

From the moment we landed in Taipei until the last second before the plane took off for the United States, Taiwan was special. The opportunity to visit Taiwan is great in itself, but the opportunity to dance there as well made it a truly unique experience. My years spent at the Elliott School had always been separate from my experience in the Department of Theatre and Dance, simply because the two areas of study seem, at first glance, entirely unrelated. But this trip led me to believe that maybe Ai Weiwei was onto something when he said, “Everything is art. Everything is politics.” The nature of this trip quickly revealed to me that international affairs and dance intersect far more than one would think.

Day trip to Jiufen (九份), a mountain town about an hour outside of Taipei with gorgeous scenery

Taiwan is a fusion of cultures and customs. When you visit the country, you experience far more than just Taiwan, and this certainly applied to our experience as well. On any given day, we witnessed Chinese, Japanese, and Western cultures being blended together – with a special Taiwanese twist, of course. We experienced some of the largest quantities of culture, however, at the World Stage Design Festival, hosted at Taipei National University of the Arts. We watched a Korean dancer and a Japanese one come together to perform a piece choreographed by a young Taiwanese man. We dabbled in Lithuanian experimental theater, flirted with Russian performance art, and most importantly, danced with local Taiwanese. The latter was by far the most rewarding and authentic experience of all.

 Watching a Anarchy Dance Theater rehearsal from the sidelines

There is no better way to truly experience a country than to interact with the locals. In our case, we communicated through the universal language of dance – quite literally. While I speak some Mandarin, little translation was necessary in order to communicate what the body already does so clearly in this art form. Master classes with Taipei-born dancers from Studio Wayne McGregor and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company were both challenging and thrilling. Like anywhere we went in Taipei that week, we were dripping in sweat (95 degree heat and 80% humidity almost everyday!) while surrounded by views of some of the lushest scenery I had ever seen. We were also able to begin the rehearsal process with I-Fen Tung, a Taiwanese choreographic treasure, who encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones, get ugly, and be fearless. Our work with I-Fen will culminate in the fall, when she comes over to D.C. with two dancers from Anarchy Dance Theatre to continue the choreographic process. After sitting in on her rehearsal with Anarchy, where sylph-like, lithe and lean dancers struck the perfect balance of pushing boundaries and finding quiet moments of simplicity, it was easy to get excited for when I-Fen comes in the fall.

Marlee and I outside the National Palace Museum in Taipei

Throughout my life, Asian culture and dance have been the mainstay of my interests. Rich in history and a key issue in present-day East Asian politics, Taiwan is an Asian-focused international affairs major’s Eden. From a cultural standpoint, it is an artist’s playground. As a dancer who has studied China and Japan extensively, it was a dream come true. I was able to practice my Mandarin, savor my favorite foods, delight in the scenery and sights, and expand my cultural and artistic vocabulary in a way I never could have imagined. This was purely possible through an exchange not only between two countries, but between two fields of study I had never thought to combine before. Thank you so very much to the people who facilitated this trip from every end. It benefited me in so many ways, and for that, I am extremely grateful.

Hana Springer is a senior at GW majoring in International Affairs, with a concentration on Asia. As a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she has a second major in Dance. Through this exchange, Hana was able to combine her academic interest in East Asia with her longtime passion for dance.