Building on the artistic resonance and acclaim of the 2024 "Dance Talk & Experience" — a collaboration between CHANEL and Weiwuying — the 2026 "Dance Talk" returns with a new focus: "The Path to Ballet Creation." The 2026 edition of "Dance Talk" centers on "The Path to Ballet Creation," highlighting the elegance, discipline, and freedom of ballet in a contemporary context. The program is curated by Shu-Yi Chou, Artistic Director of Southern Jump, and is proudly supported by CHANEL.

Over two days, the workshop brings together international and local talent: Principal dancer Tzu-Chao Chou from Birmingham Royal Ballet (UK), choreographer and director Andreas Heise (Germany), and Taiwanese artists Ming-Hua Yeh, Wu-Kang Chen, Shu-Hsien Lee, and curator Shu-Yi Chou. The event features classic ballet repertoire classes, creative ballet practice, and two themed talks: "Why Ballet? A Taiwanese Perspective" and "Future Landscapes of Ballet Creation." Participants will experience the balance of elegance and discipline, and explore the freedom of movement, envisioning the future of ballet in Taiwan.

We warmly invite you to join "Dance Talk & Experience – The Path to Ballet Creation" in 2026. The event offers two participation tracks: the workshop is open to dancers, while the dance talks are open to the public from diverse backgrounds. Admission is free for all participants.

1. Dancer Participation: We invite professional dancers and students with advanced ballet training and rich performance experience to engage in a two-day workshop and creative practice, designed to inspire artistic growth and exploration.
2. Participation for Related Professionals and the Public: Professionals from allied fields and members of the public are welcomed to join two themed talks. Through artist conversations and exchanges, participants will discover the nuances of ballet technique, the creative journey, and contemporary perspectives on performance.

Through workshops, repertoire study, and thought-provoking lectures, "Dance Talk & Experience" gathers the creativity, insights, vision, and life stories of diverse artists. Together, we share the landscapes discovered along the journey of dance and the multiple pathways of physical training, opening a horizon of imagination for the next generation of dancers.

  Event Dates  

• Day 1 | August 4 (Tuesday) 09:00-19:30
• Day 2 | August 5 (Wednesday) 09:00–19:30

  Venue  

Weiwuying Playhouse

  Eligibility  

This program offers two modes of participation:

A. Dancers (Workshop Participation):

Open to dancers, choreographers, creators, and students with a background in dance, performing arts, or movement-based creation. Recommended for individuals aged 13 and above with at least five years of ballet training, including experience with pointe technique.

B. Professionals from Related Fields & General Audience (Talk Participation):

Open to professionals in related fields and general audience members interested in dance, ballet, and the performing arts. Participants may join the talks.

  Program Fee  

Free of charge

  Event Schedule  

  Notes  

• Completion of registration does not guarantee admission. Southern Jump will review all applications based on the overall registration status and will notify applicants of the results separately.
• For professional dancers, this program is designed as a consecutive two-day course (August 4–5). Full attendance is required to ensure complete learning and exchange experience.
• After acceptance, participants will be assigned to groups according to the curriculum and their backgrounds, as arranged by Southern Jump. Participants are expected to cooperate with the group assignments.

  Workshop Content  

"Classical Ballet Repertoire: Swan Lake" by Tzu-Chao Chou

The corps de ballet scene in Swan Lake is one of the most iconic moments in classical ballet. Through precise, unified movements, elegant arm lines, and fluid formations, dancers embody the mystery and poetry of the swan ensemble. In Tzu-Chao Chou's practical repertoire session, participants will experience the physical language of classical ballet, learning coordination, control, and group synergy to appreciate the beauty of ensemble work. Each day will also begin with a foundational ballet technique class.

Creative Ballet by Andreas Heise

Andreas Heise offers a practical workshop that blends classical ballet fundamentals with contemporary creative approaches, drawing on his extensive experience as a choreographer and performer. The class will guide participants in exploring creative ballet, investigating movement and choreographic possibilities, and introducing Heise’s unique choreographic style. Through learning and practicing excerpts from his works, dancers will discover how ballet can become a medium for creative freedom and expression. Each day will also begin with a foundational ballet technique class.

Talks & Conversations

From Taiwan to the world, from tradition to innovation, ballet continues to evolve with the times. This series of talks invites dancers and creators active both in Taiwan and internationally to share their journeys of learning, performance experiences, and creative insights. The session "Why Ballet? A Taiwanese Perspective" reflects on personal encounters and life stories with ballet, while "Future Landscapes of Ballet Creation" looks ahead to how contemporary ballet transcends cultural and formal boundaries, developing new vocabularies of movement and artistic imagination.

Through intergenerational and international dialogue, these talks invite audiences to see ballet not only as a refined technique, but also as an ongoing artistic practice—one that explores the self, responds to the world, and creates the future.

  About the Speakers  

Tzu-Chao CHOU

Currently a Principal Dancer at the Birmingham Royal Ballet company in the UK. Born in Yilan, Taiwan in 1985, he began his ballet journey in 1993 at the Lan Yang Dance Troupe's "Ballet Specialized Program," receiving formal Russian-style classical ballet training. In 2003, he pursued further studies at The Australian Ballet School and has not returned to Taiwan since. In 2005, he was invited to join The Australian Ballet Company as a dancer. In 2011, he moved to the UK to join the Birmingham Royal Ballet as a soloist, was exceptionally promoted to First Soloist the following year, and became Principal Dancer in 2017. In 2023, he returned to Taiwan for the first time, and has since been invited annually to instruct professional ballet camps at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) "Summer Dance Camp."

Andreas Heise

German choreographer and director Andreas Heise graduated from the Palucca University of Dance Dresden, and later continued his studies in performance and theater directing in New York, Norway, and London. He began his professional career with the Leipzig Ballet, then joined the Norwegian National Ballet, performing in numerous significant works. He has collaborated with renowned choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, John Neumeier, and Christopher Wheeldon. His dance, opera, and interdisciplinary works have been presented at major international venues and festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, Volksoper Vienna, Teatro Real Madrid, and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Recent works include "KaiserRequiem," "The Deepest Desire," "Frühlingsstimmen," "Echoes Through Time," "Baba Yaga – Song & Dances of Death," as well as choreography for the operas "Antony and Cleopatra" and "The Marriage of Figaro."

Ming-Hua YEH

Taiwanese choreographer and dancer, born in Kaohsiung in 1983, and a graduate of the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts. Her work explores time and space through bodily and sensory interpretation, and responds to narrative and events through multidisciplinary and cross-field performances. In 2019-2020, she was invited by the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) for the "Four Countries Residency Exchange Program," presenting experimental public space works. In 2020, she was commissioned by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum to create "Courtyard Behind the Wall," which won the 19th Taishin Arts Award Grand Prize. In 2022, she premiered "Dancing Ballet" at the Weiwuying "Taiwan Dance Platform," and from 2023-2025, serves as playwright and choreographer for Weiwuying's self-produced ballet "The Girl Who Met the Nutcracker."

Shu-Hsien LI

A senior Taiwanese ballet dancer and educator, graduated from the Department of Dance at National Taiwan University of Arts. She furthered her studies in "Ballet Repertoire Rehearsal and Teaching" at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia, deeply inspired by the orthodox classical ballet system.

During her career as a dancer, she was known for her delicate performance style and solid technique, taking leading roles in full-length classical ballets such as Giselle in "Giselle," Swanilda in "Coppélia," and Aurora in "The Sleeping Beauty." After retiring from the stage, she has dedicated herself to the preservation and education of classical ballet repertoire, also serving as a judge for ballet competitions and as a professional ballet director. In 2025, she was invited by choreographer Yeh Ming-Hua and the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) to be the performance director for the ballet "The Girl Who Met the Nutcracker." She hopes to contribute to the development of ballet in Taiwan.

  Talk Facilitator  

Wu-Kang CHEN

Born in Taiwan, Chen began a 12-year collaboration as a dancer with New York choreographer Eliot Feld in 2001, profoundly influenced by Feld's work. In 2004, he co-founded HORSE Dance Theatre and has served as its Artistic Director ever since. In 2007, "Velocity" won the Taishin Arts Award for Performing Arts. In 2012, "Two Men" received first prize at the Kurt Jooss Choreography Prize in Germany. In 2020, he co-created and performed "For Wu-Kang Chen" with Jérôme Bel at the Taipei Arts Festival, which also won the 19th Taishin Performing Arts Award. Recent creations include HORSE Dance Theatre's "Thank You So Much for Your Participation," "Thank You for Staying Home," "14," "Two Men in the Hood," "Rama on the Wild Stage," "Tomorrow Is a Public Holiday," "Disappearing in Helplessness Is Also Happiness in Activity," and Cloud Gate Spring Riot's "Bo'ai Works."

  Curator / Talk Facilitator  

Shu-Yi CHOU

Dancer, choreographer, and curator. Focuses on the relationship between the body and the city, history, and identity. His works span both theater and public spaces. "No Man's Land" won the Taishin Arts Award. From 2020 to 2024, he was an artist-in-residence at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and curator of the Taiwan Dance Platform. In 2025, he founded "SouthJump Experimental Space," Taiwan's first residency and creative base centered on body-based creation, continuing to explore dance as a form of action and dialogue.

  Execution Team  

Southern Jump

Founded in 2025 by artist Shu-Yi Chou, it is Taiwan's first base focused on the body and dance. Through programming, performance invitations, and exchange activities, and by intersecting with experimental music, environmental theater, visual media, and more, it develops programs in performance, artistic dialogue, daily training, residency mechanisms, and public participation. Southern Jump aims to build a future-facing community hub for artistic exchange and co-creation, while also supporting independent artists in experimentation and creation.

  Organizer  

  About CHANEL Arts and Culture  

The CHANEL Culture Fund fosters a vibrant network of creators and innovators to advance the ideas that shape culture worldwide. Core programmes include CHANEL's Art Partners, institutions whose leaders are supported in the development of ground-breaking, long-term initiatives that bring innovation to the cultural landscape. The CHANEL Next Prize celebrates artists and accelerates their future successes through access to resources and mentorship. And the podcast CHANEL Connects amplifies the voices of thought-leaders across disciplines, generations, and geographies—tackling the defining issues of our time. From driving artistic innovation with technology at CalArts in Southern California to catalyzing creative freedom at scale at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, from championing game-changing artists at the Venice Biennale to celebrating the brightest directors at the British Film Institute, the CHANEL Culture Fund extends a century of commitment to the arts and champions creative audacity for a better future.