Paper Cranes. Photo by Dexter Photography
Dance Professor Chung-Fu Chang has recently had a full schedule of scholarly activates starting with a weeklong residency with Ormao Dance Company in Colorado Springs from May 21-28, where he created 20 minutes of new choreography. His original work, Paper Cranes, was performed for Ormao's 25th Anniversary Summer Concert on June 24- 25 at Kathryn Mohrman Theater, Colorado College, Colorado Springs. Jan Johnson, Ormao’s executive director, is intrigued by stories told through movement. “'Paper Cranes' definitely are a metaphor for how memories unfold or get folded and tucked away ... (and) how do you revisit a memory?" she said in a Gazette article about the concert’s repertoire. At the end of May 31, Chang taught three modern master classes at Sylvan Dale Retreat Center for Bodyline Dance Theatre out of Cheyenne, Wyo.
From July 1 -22, he did a choreography residency at National Chiayi Girls' Senior High School Dance Program in Chiayi City, Taiwan, R.O.C., where he choreographed a new dance – A Gift Box – for 25 dance majors. The piece will premiere at the 994-seat Chiayi Municipal Cultural Center Music Hall on Nov. 9, with an additional performance on Nov. 25, this piece will be performed again at at the 1080-seat Yuanline Performance Hall in Yunline Township, Taiwan, R.O.C. While in his home country of Taiwan, he was choreographer-in-residence from July 25 – Aug. 5 at the National Chiachi High School in Tainan City, Taiwan, R.O.C., where he reset the piece August's Twilight for 25 dance majors. A four-city fall tour includes Penghu County Auditorium in Magong City on Sept. 30; Yuanline Performance Hall, Yunline Township, Nov. 5; National Chiachi High School Auditorium, Tainan City, Nov. 8-9; Kaohsiung City Dadong Arts Center, Nov. 22; and the 2,000-seat Tainan Municipal Cultural Center, Dec. 10.
In July, Chang also taught improvisation workshops and master classes at Tainan Municipal Na-Shin Junior High School Music Program, Taiwan City, Taiwan, R.O.C., and The Youth Dance Workshop at National Chiayi Girl's Senior High School, supported by Chiayi City Cultural Bureau. Additionally, on Aug. 20-21, he was a distinguished speaker and adjudicator for the 6th International Singapore Youth Dance Festival in Singapore.