Program
The stated times for the performances at Union Square are approximate. Please anticipate possible shifts in the schedule and arrive earlier for any performances you are planning to watch.
Location
Union Square Park
333 Post St, San Francisco, CA
Driving Direction: http://www.unionsquareshop.com/directions.html
Parking: http://www.unionsquareshop.com/parking.html
FREE shuttle schedule (First Come First Serve to Taiwanese Americans or friends of Taiwan):
FREMONT BUS (55 seats)
10:00 am arrive SF Union Square
3:00 pm leave SF Union Square
4:00 pm arrive TEA-NCA
TEA-NCA's address:
4333 Hansen Ave., Fremont, CA 94536
Contacts:
Stanley Lin - yutse@sbcglobal.net - 510-468-5716
SOUTH BAY BUS (55 seats)
10:00 am arrive SF Union Square
6:00 pm leave SF Union Square (Safeway passengers)
7:00 pm arrive Safeway
Safeway's address:
6150 Bollinger Road
San Jose , CA 95129 ( Miller Avenue and Bollinger Road )
Contacts:
Tian Yang - tenyang@yahoo.com - 408-257-3534
Gina Mao - abcgina@yahoo.com - 650-787-7288
Performance Schedule
10:00 am Music
10:20 am Stephanie Lai
10:50 am Rubik's Cube Demonstration - Tyson Mao & Friends
11:00 am Fremont Taiwanese School - Song/Dance
11:15 am Ma-Tzu Temple/lion dance
12:00 pm Opening Ceremony
12:30 pm Taiwanese Dancing Group
1:45 pm Alice Tong
2:15 pm Fremont Taiwanese School - Song/Dance
2:30 pm Jenton Lee
3:00 pm Diana Li & Christine Ofrecio - singer/songwriter (including some Taiwanese/Mandarin songs)
3:30 pm Johnny Hi-Fi
4:00 pm Taiwanese Dancing Group
5:15 pm Carolyn Chen
About Featured Events
The Department of Dance at Night School of the former National Taiwan Academy of Arts in 1970 first recruited graduates from high schools. In 1977, a five-year junior college day school program was established, and recruited junior high school graduates who are talented in dancing. However, the four-year college dance program did not start in National Taiwan College on Arts until 1997.
Dance students have been encouraged to participate in international dance performances such as Hungarian Dance Festivals, Nureyev Ballet Competition, British Oriental Dance Festival, Poland International Folk Dance Competition as well as the South Africa International Folk Dance Competition, which student’s efforts have yielded remarkable results.
In 2002, our school became the first university in Asia to be invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in New York since National American College Dance Festival was established 20 years ago. In 2005, the Da-Guan Dance Theater was established under the Department of Dance in order to give alumni opportunities to present their hard work and efforts. We have welcomed both dance alumni to perform and present their choreographies with related artists, multimedia, drama and music specialties to collaborate in various dance performances.
The Department of Dance is also committed in helping the surrounding community to provide community services. For example, our department occasionally cooperates with the Lin Family Mansion and Garden, and the Taipei County Government in various community-oriented events. We also occasionally perform in schools and create an annual graduation tour in Taiwan.
About the Featured / Taiwanese Performers
Stephanie Lai
Taiwanese-American cellist Stephanie Lai has been hailed by The Washington Post for her "handsome tone allied with perceptive musicianship and a spirited, emotionally immediate way of setting melodies aloft." She made her solo debut in 2002, appearing in Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center Concert Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra in a series of ten concerts as the winner of their Young Soloists' Competition. Stephanie is the Assistant Principal in the Berkeley Symphony. With a B.A. in Social Studies and Music from Harvard University, she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 2006. Stephanie also holds a Masters in Cello Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. Stephanie has served as principal cellist of the American Youth Philharmonic and the Pacific Music Festival Academy Orchestra in Japan and has received numerous honors, including the David McCord Prize for Outstanding Artistic Achievement and the International Scholarship from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
Tyson Mao
Fremont Taiwan School
Fremont Taiwan School fosters interest and love for Taiwan's culture in the children by teaching them the languages of Taiwan, Taiwanese and Mandarin, as well as different aspects of culture, dance, and music. The school builds the children's self confidence and their sense of self identities. It offers a wide variety of programs such as choir, dance, writing, and art. Fremont Taiwan School has been invited to perform at several events in the Bay Area in previous years. You can see these performances at www.fremonttaiwanschool.blogspot.com.
Alice Tong
Diana Li
Jenton Lee
He has released a Parody album, entitled, 'The Silly Stuff', and an orignal album, entitled, 'Life in Shorthand'. Both of which are available for purchase on his website, CDBaby, iTunes, and Amazon.com
You can check out his music on http://jentonlee.com or http://youtube.jentonlee.com
Johnny Hi-Fi
Without a doubt, Johnny Hi-Fi is one of the hardest working unsigned bands out there. Lead singer Eric Hsu formed his first indie rock band in 1992, and since then has performed hundreds of shows both in the US and around the globe.
With numerous US and Asia tours under their belt, Johnny Hi-Fi's alternative rock sound has captured fans all over. From the House-of-Blues US tour to the band's video reaching #8 on MTV Chi's top 10 video charts, all the attentions helped them land the "Artist of the Month" spot on Billboard Magazine's Underground series and a feature in the magazine. In 2006, the band made appearances on CBS News, publications such as the New York Times and World Journal, also radio stations from Texas to Taipei. The band then went on to open for Placebo and Supergrass in front of 20,000 fans at the Beijing Pop Festival.
In 2008, the band released their 3rd full length album titled "Vicious Cycle of Promises & Apologies". All three releases are available on iTunes and the band’s website. Johnny Hi-Fi is also back in the studio working on their 4th album to be released in summer 2010. For more information, visit www.johnnyhi-fi.com.
Carolyn Chen
Carolyn Chen, also known as Underwoman and the Believers, has a thing for quiet, sad songs. She discovered her passion for songwriting while a student at MIT and, more recently, has played her music at Dolores Park Cafe in San Francisco, Mosaic Bay Area church in Berkeley, and Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland. Carolyn thanks her friends and family, including the local Taiwanese community, for their love and support. She especially thanks her friends Mark Win and Arnold Kim for accompanying her on bass and viola at this special event. www.myspace.com/notesfromunder.
