Young dancer pursues int'l exposure

Now, the choreographer/dancer has entered a new sphere, showing his talent in the Internet world, as his choreographic work “[1875] Ravel and Bolero” has been selected as one of 10 finalists in London Sadler's Wells Theater's Global Dance Contest 2009.

In the talent search program, the theater invites choreographers around the world to submit videos of original dance pieces.

This year, a panel of judges has chosen 10 finalists from more than 100 entries, and the finalists have been posted on the theater's Web site since Sept. 1 for viewers to vote for their favorite clips.

The 26-year-old Chou, who is currently attending a six-month resident artist program at the Asian Cultural Council in New York, told the Central News Agency that he was thrilled to know that his entry was one of the finalists in the competition. If the piece finishes with the most votes when the public poll closes on Nov. 13, Chou will be given the opportunity to perform in January 2010 in front of a live audience at the theater in London, a leading venue for international dance.

Bolero is a one-movement orchestral piece by French composer Maurice Ravel, who was born in 1875. Chou used the piece to choreograph a 25-minute work in 2006 when he was chosen to represent Taiwan in the Asian Young Choreographer's Project sponsored by Taiwan National University of Arts.

The entry that he submitted to Sadler's Wells Theater's Internet talent search program is a revised version that was shortened to meet the rules of the contest, he said.

“The famous melody which is repeated numerous times without change brings to mind the fleeting nature of time and all the wonderful moments in life,” Chou said. “I was moved by the sparking moments and, at the same time, extremely conscious of the passage of time.”

A prolific choreographer, Chou has become a promising figure in Taiwan's modern dance circles over the past few years. His works have been twice selected for the National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center's “Young Stars, New Vision” program, an annual showcase of new ideas.

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