Dance plays a vital role in Taiwan, serving as a dynamic medium for cultural transmission, identity formation, and historical continuity. The diversity of Taiwan's dance landscape today is the result of generations of dancers and cultural practitioners who have devoted themselves to the art. Recognizing both this legacy and the limitations of existing historical documentation, the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), with the support of the Ministry of Culture, has launched the four-year Mapping Taiwan Dance Memories Project.

The Project was officially inaugurated on December 7, 2025, in a ceremony presided over by Deputy Minister of Culture LEE Ching-hwi and the General and Artistic Director of Weiwuying CHIEN Wen-pin, witnessed by over one hundred researchers, critics, and dance professionals from across Taiwan who have contributed to dance development across generations. A forum held on the same day continued to discuss the current state of dance historiography and key issues in documenting dance history.

Deputy Minister LEE addressed the Ministry of Culture's Reconstruction of Taiwan's Art History initiative formally incorporating dance history this year at its 2.0 phase. She emphasized the importance of tracing the connections between dance, land, and history, while ensuring that future developments inherit the accumulated knowledge and energy of the past. LEE also highlighted that dance is not only preserved through texts and images, but exists as embodied memory, expressing hope that the Project will establish dance as an indispensable chapter in Taiwan's collective cultural memory.

Artistic Director CHIEN described the Project as a major undertaking of profound cultural significance. Beyond preserving dance history and reinforcing cultural identity, it represents Weiwuying's commitment to deepening the local foundations of Taiwan's performing arts. Over the next four years, the Project will build upon existing research—such as the Taiwan Encyclopedia dance entries, the Chronology of Contemporary Taiwanese Dance, and studies by institutions and organizations including the Taiwan Dance Research Society—to conduct oral history interviews with dancers and pursue thematic research. These outcomes will further extend into talent development and public engagement initiatives, ensuring that Taiwan's dance history remains active and accessible.

The Project encompasses four core dimensions: oral history research, professional training and repertoire reinterpretation, exhibitions and presentations, and public outreach and dance appreciation. At its center is oral history research, recognizing that dance history resides not only in archives, but in dancers' bodies and memories. Through nationwide open calls for Research Projects, researchers will document the experiences of individuals who have made significant contributions to Taiwan's dance development, creating irreplaceable foundational records for future generations.

In parallel, Weiwuying will launch Professional Training and Repertoire Reinterpretation programs to sustain the circulation of dance memory. Beginning next year, professional dancers based in Kaohsiung will be recruited for regular training programs and master classes, supporting future creative responses, reconstructions of significant works, and technique development. Open calls for new creations inspired by figures from Taiwan's dance history will further connect past legacies with contemporary artistic expression.

Research outcomes will be shared through online and onsite Exhibitions, bringing dance memories beyond archives and into public life. Oral history research results are expected in the second half of 2026 and will be presented through an online exhibition platform accessible worldwide, alongside physical dance history exhibitions in Weiwuying's public area.

More than a professional research initiative, the Mapping Taiwan Dance Memories Project is a nationwide movement of shared artistic experience. Through the public call for "Dancers, Gather!" Photo Submissions, individuals are invited to contribute one image and one story reflecting their personal encounters with dance—from spontaneous street dance battles to childhood memories or community morning dances. These collective contributions will help complete Taiwan's dance memory map and foster broader public appreciation, participation, and identification with dance.

For more information, please visit Mapping Taiwan Dance Memories Project page on Weiwuying Official Website.