The Taoyuan Summer Family Art Festival Kicks Off Tonight, Taking Kids into a Wizard of Oz Wonderland

▲ Spain’s Calicanto Theater Troupe will perform the kite show “Magic Dance of the Wind.” (Photo / From the 2015 Taoyuan Summer Family Art Festival – The Wizard of Oz Facebook page, the same below)

By Chen Ruizhong / Staff Reporter

The 2015 Taoyuan Summer Family Art Festival runs from today (July 23) to July 26 at the Taoyuan Arts and Cultural Park Plaza, and from July 27 to July 29 at schools including Xinyi Junior High School in Xinyi District. This year’s theme is the famous fairy tale “The Wizard of Oz,” allowing both children and adults to join Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion on an adventure through the Land of Oz.

Now in its fifth year, the Taoyuan Summer Family Art Festival has invited former Cirque du Soleil performers “Wild Circus” to create a “Wizard of Oz” program for this year’s festival, featuring performances in aerial silk acrobatics, circus juggling, and musical theater. The world’s only kite performance troupe, “Calicanto Theater Troupe,” has also come from Spain to present their “Magic Dance of the Wind” show.

▲ Australia’s Wild Circus will premiere their “Wizard of Oz” performance.

The Taoyuan City Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that during the festival, Japan’s “Giant Balloon Puppet Theater Troupe” will tell the story of “Giant Balloon Fantasy” through shadows; France’s “Mandingo Drum Ensemble” will transform traditional West African Mandingo drum music into lively Champs-Élysées-style rhythms with their unique performance style; and Denmark’s “Mr. Tuntun” will bring the world’s tallest 4-meter unicycle acrobatic performance, guaranteeing endless surprises for audiences.

In addition to international performance groups, local school dance competition champions such as Shuanglong Elementary School, the Daye/Mountain Top Elementary School alliance, Fudan Elementary School, Zhiping High School, and Yangmei Elementary School will also join the “Taoyuan Seeds” joint performance. They will kick off with folk dances, modern dances, and popular dance routines, bringing youthful energy to the afternoon sessions of the Taoyuan Summer Family Art Festival.

Taoyuan Summer Family Art Festival
Time: July 23–July 29
Venue: July 23–July 26 at Taoyuan Arts and Cultural Park Plaza; July 27–July 29 at Xinyi Junior High School, Xinpo Elementary School, and ?lin Elementary School in Xinyi District
Address:
Taoyuan Arts and Cultural Park Plaza: No. 1188, Zhongzheng Road, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City
Xinyi Junior High School: No. 111, Zhongxing Road, Xinyi District, Taoyuan City
Xinpo Elementary School: No. 717, Section 2, Zhongshan Road, Guanyin District, Taoyuan City
?lin Elementary School: No. 41, Lane 12, ?lin Li, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City