We are very much looking forward to bringing Taiwan's U-Theatre to Portland on April 8-10 at the Newmark Theatre. This is a very special opportunity to experience a highly unusual cross-polination of Taiwanese culture and performance. I wanted to give some background about my trip to Taiwan in May 2006 and how I discovered U-Theatre and immediately felt that this company would be an exciting addition to White Bird's dance season.

I was invited by the National Performing Theatre of Taiwan to learn about the dance scene in Taiwan. When I arrived in May 2006, I, with a small group from around the world,  had the amazing opportunity to travel to the outskirts of Taipei, then took a mile long hike up one of beautiful mountains, to U-Theatre's outpost, where they create and rehearse their work. We met with the artistic director Ruoyu Liu and the drumming master Chih Chun Huang, who are a couple. They and their performers are very much like a closely-knit  family in that they meditate and dine together, and are spiritually connected. This unity is strongly visible in their the fluidity and Zen-like focus of their performances.