Formosa Viva brings the history and identity of Taiwan to the Edinburgh Fringe through contemporary dance, physical theatre and visual storytelling.
Performed by eight dancers, the production takes us across 500 years of Taiwanese history, moving from its Indigenous roots through periods of colonial struggle and ultimately towards modern democracy. Rather than telling this story through conventional dialogue, Formosa Viva uses movement, music, light and rhythm to explore ideas of resilience, transformation, memory and identity.
I was very pleased to see this production was appearing at the Fringe. If a troupe has travelled all the way from Taiwan to Edinburgh to share its culture and history with audiences here, it felt important that I made my own considerably smaller journey across Edinburgh to see them.
On arrival I was warmly welcomed and given a mini programme explaining more about the production. This was a fantastic addition, particularly for a show communicating so much through movement rather than spoken dialogue. It gave me some context for what I was about to experience while still allowing the performance itself to do the storytelling.
What followed was a series of beautifully presented dances that seemed to flow into one another with an almost ethereal energy.
There was something remarkably peaceful about Formosa Viva. At the Edinburgh Fringe, where you can spend an entire day rushing between venues, navigating packed streets and moving from one intense production to another, suddenly sitting down and watching these dancers felt like entering a completely different environment.
For a little while, the noise of the Fringe disappeared.
The performers demonstrated enormous talent, with gracefulness and control running throughout the production. The choreography often felt fluid and delicate, but there was strength behind the movement too. With a production exploring centuries of history, struggle and cultural change, that combination of delicacy and strength felt particularly appropriate.
This isn’t a production where you necessarily need to understand the meaning behind every individual movement. Sometimes you can simply sit back and appreciate what is happening in front of you.
The visual storytelling, choreography and movement work together to create something that can be enjoyed purely as a performance, while those wanting to look deeper can consider the history and identity being represented on stage.
There were moments throughout where I found myself simply watching the precision of the performers. When eight dancers are working together, even relatively small movements require considerable discipline to create something that appears effortless to an audience. Formosa Viva manages to make much of its choreography look wonderfully natural.
My favourite routine actually came right at the end of the production. There was something about that final sequence that particularly captured my attention and provided a fitting conclusion to what I had been watching.
But I enjoyed the production as a whole.
Formosa Viva also demonstrates one of the things I particularly enjoy about the Edinburgh Fringe. Within the space of an hour, you can be introduced to another country’s history and culture by the people who have travelled thousands of miles to share it with you.
You don’t need to be an expert in contemporary dance or Taiwanese history to appreciate what NTNUGIPA has brought to Edinburgh. You can simply watch the movement, absorb the atmosphere and allow the performers to take you somewhere else for a while.
Graceful, peaceful and beautifully performed, Formosa Viva provided a welcome moment of calm amongst the wonderful chaos of the Edinburgh Fringe.
It is worth seeing simply for the quality of the performance.
A worthy 4 stars.
Formosa Viva | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Ethereal, elegant and beautifully performed – Formosa Viva is a moment of magic amid the Fringe chaos
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