Taiwan’s Hsu Chen Wei Dance Company on Tri-city Tour of India on Dec 12-18

New Delhi: Taiwanese contemporary dance is once again making its mark on India’s performing arts scene! With the support of Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India (TECC), the renowned Hsu Chen Wei Dance Company will embark on an India tour from December 12 to 18, 2026, presenting its signature production Sàng Tsáu in three major cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Notably, the company has been invited to present the opening performance of the Pravaha Dance Festival, organized by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai. This invitation highlights the international recognition of Taiwanese contemporary dance and marks another milestone in cultural exchanges between Taiwan and India.

Isabel Lin, head of TECC’s Cultural Division in India, noted that Taiwan and India share rich traditions of religious beliefs and cultural heritage. Reinterpreting traditional culture through contemporary art not only creates emotional connections beyond language barriers but also deepens mutual cultural understanding and artistic collaboration. The production Sàng Tsáu, whose title is derived from the Taiwanese pronunciation of “sending away,” draws inspiration from Taoist rituals in Taiwan that involve bidding farewell to deities. It offers a compelling example of how traditional Taiwanese culture can be transformed through contemporary artistic expression.

Choreographer Hsu Chen Wei grew up in a family involved in the funeral services industry, where he was exposed to traditional rituals and religious practices from an early age. These experiences profoundly shaped his understanding of life, death, and spirituality. In 2019, Hsu was selected for the Cloud Gate Wanderer Program, which took him to India on a journey of cultural exploration.

During his visit, he traveled to the Ganges River, where he witnessed traditional cremation ceremonies, and visited Bodh Gaya, the sacred site where the Buddha attained enlightenment. These experiences allowed him to encounter India’s profound spiritual traditions and gain new perspectives on how different cultures understand life and death, providing lasting inspiration for his artistic creations. Years later, Hsu returns to India with Sàng Tsáu, a work inspired by Taiwanese rituals of farewell.

This homecoming holds special significance, creating an opportunity for Taiwanese and Indian perspectives on life, death, and spirituality to engage in a meaningful dialogue through contemporary dance. Through powerful physical movements, symbolic ritual scenes, and striking visual imagery, the production invites audiences to reflect on life’s uncertainties and the experience of farewell, while exploring the possibilities of release, healing, and blessing.

To resonate with India’s rich religious and ritual traditions, the production has been specially adapted into a version featuring five dancers, accompanied by Taiwanese musician Wu Hsin-Tse, who has a background in Indian traditional music and will perform live on the sitar, a classical Indian string instrument. As the resonant melodies of the sitar intertwine with the rhythms of traditional Taiwanese rituals, the dancers and live music create a shared spiritual space that transcends cultural boundaries.

This innovative encounter between Taiwanese folk beliefs and Indian traditional music demonstrates the potential of cross-cultural artistic expression, inviting audiences in both countries to explore shared Asian cultural experiences and the universal connections among faith, emotion, and human existence.

Founded in 2015, the Hsu Chen Wei Dance Company has consistently explored themes of life and death, ritual, and existence, developing a distinctive contemporary dance aesthetic rooted in Taiwanese culture. In recent years, the company has actively expanded its international presence, participating in major artistic platforms including India’s Dance Bridges Festival, the Trastevere Theater in Rome, Italy, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the United Kingdom. The company has also been selected as a Taiwan Top performing arts group by the National Culture and Arts Foundation for four consecutive years, from 2023 to 2026, reflecting its sustained artistic excellence and growing international recognition.

Performance Information:

• December 12, 2026 (Saturday), 4:00 PM at Kathika Cultural Centre and Museum, New Delhi
• December 15, 2026 (Tuesday), 5:00 PM at National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai (Ticketed performance — Pravaha Dance Festival
• December 18, 2026 (Friday), 7:00 PM at Prestige Centre for Performing Arts (PCPA), Bengaluru: Free admission (tentative)