Jhongshan Junior Highschool
Jhonshan Junior High school is where Pei-jen and Kuei (who stayed with before PJ arrived) both went to school. It’s a regular high school but with a special dance department.
Every time Pei-jen comes back to Taiwan she gets hunted down and asked to do some teaching there. And this time as she had a laowai with her, her old teacher was even more insistant in her coming. So… we were drafted in on a tight schedule.
The all-giggling-girls school is from 11-14 yrs over 3 years of study. Pei-jen was asked to choreograph a piece for the 2nd years for next March and I was to be technique teacher and assistant (PJ to translate of course!).
These kids work hard, long hours and very committed. Not all the pupils do dance, only about 20 in each year. They are committed. Even in on weekends to practise and rehearse as well as keeping up their other extra-curriclular activities they all do.
Over the next 10 days or so it was so nice to spend time with these young ladies. They were all such characters and very talented, and very, very bendy! On one of the last days I made a deal with the 1st years that I would show them one of my kung fu forms if they showed me some of theirs. They we great, and legs up to their ears. Very impressive, I almost chickened-out of showing my stick form… not as bendy but I did shout a bit which they seemed to like.
They took well to my floor work, which is quite different to their balletic training. I soon had them running across the studio like monkeys!
We worked really hard and by the end made a really nice peice, the only problem is they perform it in March – 8 months away!! I hope they remember it!!
On the last day with the 2nd years, PJ and I took them and their teacher out for bubble tea. They are all really bright with great senses of humour. On the photo moving clockwise from me, is: XiaoTse (Little Kindness), Elephant, Teacher Sky-Honesty/ Innocent (HA!), Smelly fruit Durian, Shrek, Pear, Pig and back to me. Their names are all Chinese translations, nicknames or part of their names. Whacky! ^o^
Tags: Taiwan-fun-fun!
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