Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival will be held from November 17 to 19 over a period of 3 days at the Taichung City Hall Square on Taiwan Boulevard and Summer Green Park. This year, 6 renowned dance and parade troupes from Japan have been invited to perform along with 12 schools and private performance groups from Taiwan. The Festival Eve was held at the Taichung City Hall Square in the evening of the 17th, besides dance performances from Taiwanese and Japanese dance troupes, drum array from Taichung Municipal Xinyi Elementary School and opening dance from Youth Senior High School were complemented by flora expo mascot Omi Horse to liven up the atmosphere. Mayor Chia-lung suggested that the second Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival is even bigger than the first, and it is hoped that the event will continue to grow and immerse Taichung in a festive mood!

Japanese teams participating in Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival include Takemi Ishioka from Hokkaido Yosakoi Soran Festival Organizing Committee, Tsu City Commerce and Tourism Department Director Chiaki Matsuda, Yosakoi Happy Archive Organizing Committee President Nobuaki Miyake, Basara Mizunami Promotion Association President Komata Kouko, Kazumasa Nishikawa and Awa Odori President Tomohiko Okazaki. The guests all visited Mayor Lin before the Festival Eve on the 17th to exchange experiences in culture and tourism between the 2 countries.
Mayor Lin attended the Festival Eve accompanied by Deputy Mayor Ling-san Lin and Tourism Office Director Shen-shan Chen. According to Mayor Lin, dance, parade & festival originated from the Yosakoi Parade in Japan, which combines local spirit and characteristic with performances. Dance and parade cultural exchange between the 2 counties has already taken place for numerous years, and this year the scale of Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival was expanded, inviting 6 renowned dance and parade troupes from Japan along with 12 schools and private performance groups from Taiwan, imbuing Taichung with festive atmosphere!

He also said that in welcoming the Taichung World Flora Expo next year, the dance, parade & festival this year will also incorporate elements of the flora expo to create an exclusive Yosakoi brand for Taiwan. It is hoped that Japan will participate in the event in Taiwan every year, and with Taichung City hosting the Taiwan-Japan Tourism Summit Forum next year, exchange between the 2 countries is set to be strengthened.
While visiting Mayor Lin, Aichi Prefecture Nagoya Festival Cultural Group President Kunihiko Okada pointed out that dance and parade is inspired by the concept of bringing stage performances to the streets, thereby making culture and arts more approachable for the public. He is excited about dazzling joint performances by Taiwanese and Japanese troupes, and he also commended the prowess of local dance groups in Taiwan, praising their profound cultural foundation. He also thanked Mayor Lin for inviting Japanese troupes to participate in the dance and parade activity in Taichung.

According to the Tourism Office, the first Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival was well received, therefore this year the scale of the event has been expanded, inviting 6 prominent dance and parade troupes from Japan (Yosakoi Happy Archive from Tsu City in Mie Prefecture, Jyo from Inuyama City in Aichi Prefecture, Kita Subaru from Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Syogakubu from Otaru City, Mizunami from Gifu Prefecture and Awa Odori from Osaka. In particular, Yosakoi Happy Archive, Jyo and Kita Subaru were participants of the dance, parade & festival last year, and they all expressed wonderful memories of their time in Taiwan, hoping to incorporate flora elements into their performances this year.

In addition, 12 school performance groups and private performance troupes from Taiwan were also invited, including: University of Taipei Department of Dance, Taipei Hwa Kang Arts School, Cingshuei Senior High School Dance Class, Youth Senior High School Dance Class, Wen-hua Senior High School Dance Class, Jui-Jung Wei Dance Group – Love is Everywhere, Miao Hsuan Dance Group, Atayal Taiwan First Nation M-yu Dancers, Nantou Folk Dance Group, Zhangan Junior High School Dance Class, Private Dong Wu Senior Industrial Home Economics Vocational High School and Tainan University of Technology Dance Class etc. Streets are turned into stages and the National Taichung Theater will become the backdrop for Taiwanese and Japanese dancers, allowing the public to appreciate local culture and traditional performance from overseas.
Tourism Office commented that at 16:30 in the afternoon of the 17th, the city government also arranged for 3 Japanese performance groups, including Kita Subaru from Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Syogakubu from Otaru City and Mizunami from Gifu Prefecture to conduct flash mob performances at the Leeco Outlet in Taichung. The public is invited to appreciate the splendid skills of Soran Festival performers.

This year, the 3-day 2017 Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival has a whole host of marvelous activities in store for the public. Besides regular stage performances, specialty markets and gourmet food stalls will also be available at the Taichung City Hall Square on Taiwan Boulevard. In total, 18 dance groups from Japan and Taiwan will take turn to dazzle the audience with their mesmerizing performances. At 14:00 on the 18th, “Parade and Dance on the Move” will take place at the Summer Green Park and in front of the National Taichung Theater. Streets are turned into stages, and the dances will dance, parade and engage in close interaction with the public.

There will be multiple dance and parade lessons and exchange activities at the Taichung City Hall Square on the 19th, dance enthusiasts are invited to attend the events. For more information, please browse the 2017 Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival official website (http://www.2017tcdanceparade.com/) or search for 2017 Taichung International Dance, Parade & Festival Facebook fan page.

Tourism Office stated that the dance, parade and festival not only stimulates growth in Taichung City’s catering, accommodation and souvenir industries, the city’s international visibility can also be elevated through cultural and tourism exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, thereby expanding the momentum of regional tourism. Numerous local enterprises in Taichung and prominent businesses have resonated with the spirit of facilitating social participation by sponsoring the event, including: Taichung Real Estate Development Association, Best Giving, Lihpao Resort, Hota Industrial Mfg., Co., Ltd., Moving Star Hotel, Fu Yu Construction, Howard Taichung, Leeco Outlet, Fubon Insurance, Taichung International Tourism Association, Master of Mushrooms, Guozhou Construction, Shang Hao Print Co., Ltd., Taichung Tourist Hotel Association, Taichung Hotel Association, Taichung Harbor Hotel, Ta Chen Fong Umbrella, Yutai Technology, Taichung Bakery Association, Wan Li Ching, Vedan Company, Costco, Nothing Tea, Dr. Lai Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Aphrodite’s and X-Bear Power Drink etc.